Resident Evil 4: Real Life Edition
by 1wingangel
Summary: You've been kidnapped instead of Ashley and taken to Spain; will you survive the terrors of RE4 with Leon and return home? As realistic as possible, with lots of violence and gore, and from YOUR P.O.V. Full summary inside. NOT LeonxOC. COMPLETE.
1. Prologue:  The Kidnapping

**Author's Note (PLEASE READ):** Hello, and thanks for reading this story! As I have mentioned in the smaller summary, this was originally written for my sister, but has been modified slightly so that all fangirls of Leon may enjoy it. Before you start wondering, no, this will NOT be a romantic fanfic - I am not a fan of self-insertion fanfics that involve romances between real people and characters. Instead, my twin, Nicole, will fight alongside Leon to do just as Ashley did - survive in Spain and get out. Nicole is a regular high-school student and rabid gamer, not too girly like Ashley, and has played through RE4. So of course, she will be eager to help out everyone's favorite Raccoon City cop as much as she can.

The "modifications" that I have previously mentioned involve minor name changes (such as mine and hers) and possible setting alterations to better protect our personal information. Her name will still be used throughout the story, but other than that, my twin (and, essentially, the reader) will be referred to as "you". I hope that this places you more in her shoes and the events of Resident Evil 4!

One last important note: Nicole and her family are Christians, and we are not ashamed of it. As this story is about her and she acts according to her personality, there are a few spiritual references later in conversations that she has with certain leaders of Los Illuminados. **I am not attempting to preach to any reader in any way** at any of these occasions, these are simply examples of how my twin would react in such circumstances. If you don't want to hear about her faith, don't read it. Please don't flame me, because I am NOT trying to force Christianity on ANYONE.

...Oh, and **DISCLAIMER: I don't own RE4. There.**

Thanks very much:)

* * *

It's a gorgeous day - 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and not a cloud in the sky. You're happy to walk outside as you leave lunch, but disappointment overshadows it as you think about your twin sick at home. She's come down with something that's kept her out of school for a few days, and you miss her cheerful company as you walk to your history class alone. 

As you ponder the many hilarious jokes that Kaitlin could have told you about the guy in the Lynard Skynard shirt ahead of you, oh my goodness, your flip-flop comes off. Clumsy you. It's as though someone stepped on the back of it, just like Kaitlin used to do when she was healthy enough to go to school and enrich her brain! Oh, my… You need a moment. You've got another minute until the bell rings, so you grab your elusive flip-flop, set down your backpack and binder, and sit on the gray marble bench just outside of the doors to the auditorium lobby. You do feel terrible that Kaitlin is at home playing Resident Evil 4 all day while you slave away here, but then again, she's also going to have a ton of work to make up when she returns. You're more envious than sorry, because you have yet to miss a single day of school this year due to illness.

A soft thud to your right pulls you from your thoughts, but before you can turn to see what caused it something has grabbed you and, a second later, you're on the roof! You try to look around, but you can't move your head. You try to speak, but a large hand is clamped over your mouth. A strong arm is wrapped firmly around your waist, and even though you kick at the muscular legs of whoever has you, they don't even seem to notice. Wow, you really shouldn't have quit karate four years ago…

And you also shouldn't have flailed your legs like that, because there go your flip-flops over the edge… and onto a student's head. She mutters a stream of curses and looks up, but you don't have any hope of her seeing you and calling for help, because you are being taken away rather roughly towards a large, inconspicuous van at the student-drop-off area. The bell rings. You'll never make it to history now.

Your kidnapper pauses at the other end of the roof, and holds you even tighter with the arm around your waist -quickly moving his hand to cover your mouth as the other slips away- as he uses the other to pull something out of a pocket and then hold that over your nose and mouth. Your heart is pounding like mad now. You've seen too many unhappy stories on the news not to be deathly afraid of being captured and drugged by a very strong, unidentified man.

"Just calm down," he mutters, as you flail and thrash against his grip. You recognize his voice, and would gasp if you could inhale enough fresh air. But _he_ doesn't exist…! What's his name…? You mind becomes fuzzy and your vision blurs. You sluggishly glance up and catch a glimpse of blond hair and jagged scars before the liquid on your kidnapper's cloth causes you to become limp in his arms.

_...Jack Krauser...?_

You lose consciousness.

* * *

**A/N:** My previous readers will notice that this has been changed; I did so to make the kidnapping more believable. I hope you like it! 


	2. Chapter 1: First Impressions

**Author's Note:** I'd just like to warn anyone that happens to be fluent in Spanish that I put some Spanish in here, and even though Nicole and I took three years of Spanish in high-school, it could still suck. Please correct me if anything's incomprehensible.

* * *

"She's no President's daughter, but she'll serve your purpose."

"And how are you so sure of this? She is a weak, average little American girl. She has no impressive title, only that of a high school student. Your country will do nothing to find her."

"No, not for a while. They'll spend plenty of time scouring her hometown long before they pick up anything that might lead them here, and by that time you'll have already sent her back. Choosing someone as inconspicuous as her will give you plenty of time to do what you want before anyone comes looking."

"…You may be American, Krauser, but you are intelligent. I will accept this girl, and you have my trust for now. Later, perhaps, you will have some of my money as well. But for that you must be patient, and we must both see if my plan will carry through. If it does not…"

"I already understand and accept the consequences for failure, Lord Saddler. You don't need to worry. She's all yours."

Deep, smooth laughter permeates the room you're apparently in. Now you're scared, and a little excited. To be living Ashley's experience in this game… that is now pretty much real… this is going to suck. Okay, what does Ashley do again? Scream, hide, duck, throw lamps, struggle… get carried off… crawl around in filthy and claustrophobic areas… You're going to have such fun. Without shoes.

You open your eyes and try to absorb as much of your surroundings as possible, to determine where you are and perhaps even how long it'll take… _Leon_… to find you. Your heart skips around a little. Everything's going according to plot so far, so why wouldn't Leon Scott Kennedy be the one to show up and save your day?

Oh, my.

Well, you seem to be in a dark, wooden shack, tied to a flimsy chair, and your feet are dirty and cold. You wiggle your toes. Ew, grimy. This is really going to suck.

Osmond Saddler is standing -holy crap is he _tall_- to your right, punching a message into a typewriter. His cloak is very purple and very long. Looks soft. You'd like a blanket right now…

But let's not think about that. That will depress you. You need to think about how you're going to get back to America. You're tied to a chair in Spain, without shoes or money. There can be only one solution.

_Dear God,_ you pray,_ oh, awesome, awesome God… I love RE4 and you know it, but this is almost redi-_

"Ah, you have awoken!" Saddler smiles at you. Ew. "Tell me, how was your little catnap?"

"Not bad, but I think I like my bed better."

"Well, I am sorry to say that you won't be returning to your home for a little while, Miss…?"

"Nicole."

"Miss Nicole. You do amuse me with your little American teenager mask of confidence, but it will not help you here. You are in Spain, practically across the world from your home, and hardly anyone even knows you've disappeared yet. No one will find you in time." He pauses. You stare, expressionless. Unsurprisingly, this news does not come as a shock to you. After all, situations like these arise all the time in survival-horror games that magically come to life.

Saddler punches a few more keys on the typewriter, then rips out the paper and leaves it on the table. "It greatly surprises me that you seem to have no cares whatsoever for your wellbeing, Nicole. Do you not have any idea why I have brought you here?"

You sigh. To tell him, and be all smarty, or not to…? "Krauser took me here to get your trust. He wants to help Wesker rebuild Umbrella or something. Even though Umbrella never existed, actually…"

Saddler chuckles. "Ah. So you have been awake longer than I have thought. You are a smart little girl."

"I'm seventeen."

"Then you are a smart little American teenager."

"Are you always this racist, or did someone just pee in your cornflakes this morning?"

Now he frowns. "Pheh! Americans always think that they can speak how they wish to who they wish! Well, perhaps this enlightening experience will teach you to mind your manners around your superiors!" Saddler spouts things in Spanish that are too quick for you to understand, despite having three years of Spanish class under your belt. Three Ganados trudge in and approach you. One takes hold of a sickle and cuts the ropes that bind you, but the other two immediately grab hold of your arms so that even amazing karate leg-flailing won't free you. As you are escorted out of the shack -oh, wait, it's a _house_- your bare feet squish in the damp earth underneath.

Such fun. And the Ganados smell like they've been working at the farm all day, too. You wish you knew Spanish for "deodorant."

**A/N: I apologize for the short chapter, I promise everything else will be longer! Please R&R:) **


	3. Chapter 2: Babysitting

**Author's Note: **Sorry, I can't get any accents or anything to work for Spanish text. I know it's a bit incorrect, and it kills me:(

* * *

Well, you walked for a while with Larry, Curly, and Moe, then they switched shifts and Bob and Steve took over, and those two dropped you off with Chief Bitores Mendez. And now you're in the bathroom in his cozy house until someone else wants to baby-sit you. 

You have to pee, and it's a urinal.

But at least there's toilet paper. You amuse yourself by guessing the brand, and after deciding that that would be impossible, you resort to naming all the brands that you know due to excessive commercial intake.

_Well, at least I know that I'll get out of here alive… With Leon. … Horribly mentally scarred, yes, but… with Leon. …Okay, where was I? Quilted Northern, Charmin-_

The door opens suddenly, startling you. Mendez stands just outside of the doorway -he'd have to duck to get in- and gives you an amused, ugly smile that you can barely see through his bushy beard.

"Tienes miedo? Este es horrible, no? Estas en un pais extranjero, con nadie que puedes entendir-" ("Are you scared? This is terrible, isn't it? You're in a foreign country, with no one that you can understand-")

"No entiendo mucho espanol, senor. Habla ingles, por favor. Y no, no tengo miedo mucho." ("I don't understand much Spanish, sir. Speak English, please. And no, I'm not very scared.")

Mendez stares at you.

"Oh! Y, uh, necesito usar el bano muy, muy mal, por favor…" ("And, uh, I need to use the bathroom very, very bad, please...")

Mendez glares at you. "Te me choca. Entiendes? Y estas en un bano. Usalo." ("I hate you. Understand? And you _are_ in a bathroom. Use it.")

Your eyes widen. "Pero - pero es un _urinal_! Y soy una _chica_!" ("But- but it's a _urinal!_ And I'm a _girl!_")

He grins evilly. "Tough." And he turns away, shutting the door and locking it with a quiet click.

You turn around, crossing your knees. Well, there's a first time for everything…

* * *

There's a knock at the door. Then a bang. You wake up. "Huh?"

Spanish talk from Mendez, and then the door is unlocked. A Ganado is shoved aside while Mendez walks in, grabs your arm with one giant hand, and drags you to the living room. "Ow! Me duele la… arm! Brazo!" ("My arm hurts!")

"No hables, chica estupida!" Mendez doesn't like you very much. ("Don't talk, stupid girl!")

"Well, what are you doing to me?"

"Gathering Ganados to escort you to your next prison. You are going to the farm."

"Why was I sent to your place, then?"

Mendez growls and gestures to a trio of Ganados. "I don't know! Why did Lord Saddler choose _you_? An annoying girl who thinks she can speak Spanish to her captors! But I am sick of you, so you are going to stay in the farm! Ganados will watch you there, and I will stay here and not think about you."

"Have fun with that." Ganados roughly take your shoulders. Their sickles, axes, and pitchfork tell you to forget karate-like struggling.

Mendez practically spits, "Just get out!" So you do, with the smelly Ganados. You walk down the familiar path where Leon will meet his first Dr. Salvador, and an ugly woman sneers at you as you pass her humble abode. Her sickle screams "Welcome to Pueblo."

"Aah!" You stop, you can't help it. The Ganados look at you, puzzled, and glance at each other. One pushes you ahead gruffly. "No! Me duele los pies! Hay rocks en los pies! Mira!" You hold up a muddy foot. A tiny rock is sticking out of your left heel. ("No! My feet hurt! There are rocks in my feet! Look!")

A Ganado shakes his head and mutters something. They talk among themselves, then one who looks like a Don Manuel picks you up and slings you over his shoulder, Ashley-kidnapping style. This sucks, and your foot still hurts.

One twenty-three minute bumpy ride later, you can hear cows mooing incessantly. The stench of manure is almost overpowering. What is with backwoods Spaniards and offensive smells? No deodorant, everything is dirty, there are animals everywhere… Really, is this the 1800's? You can't _stand_ this.

"I can't stand this…" Suddenly, you get a bright idea. "Zapatos, por favor. Necesito zapatos." You look imploringly at the two Ganados trailing behind you and wiggle your bare feet to get them to acknowledge your dilemma. "…Zapatos?" ("Shoes, please. I need shoes. ...Shoes?")

They whisper among each other. The one carrying you laughs.

"Okay, puedo usar sandalias." ("Okay, I can use sandals.")

More laughter.

"Necesito zapatos…" ("I need shoes...")

Jerks. They set you in the loft -it was _not_ fun being carried up the ladder- and tie you up with rope that had once bundled a bale of hay. Now your feet hurt, you're dirty and smelly, and an itchy, scratchy rope is tied tightly around you. Well, at least after the farm you are supposed to go to the church.

Where Leon will find you.


	4. Chapter 3: Prison Cells

"Mooo!"

"Shut up, cow…"

"Moooo!"

"Shut _up_, cow…"

"Mooooo!"

"Quieres ser un bistec!? Me encanta bistec, y tengo mucho hambre!!" (You wanna be a steak!? I love steak, and I'm _very_ hungry!!") Man, is that cow annoying! You've been here for two and a half unbearable hours, and that cow must figure that if you can speak the Ganados' language, you can understand it, too, because it has been mooing away almost nonstop for _for-ev-er._

Silence.

"Woof!" A dog? When did that get here? "Woof!" Wait, isn't that the dog that _Leon_ rescued? You grin. Your heart rate increases. Leon's on his way! He's coming to save you.

And the Ganados should be here soon to take you to the church, your final stop before the real adventure begins. Before the lamp-throwing and the screaming… and…

…Oh crap, and the Salvadors, the J.J.'s, the Gigantes, the Regenerators, the Illuminados, the flaming trucks, the death traps, the gatling guns, the blood, the castle, the island, the hospitals, the Plagas…

The Plagas.

Aren't you supposed to have one, "Ashley?"

Where's _your _Plaga, growing and hatching inside of you, forcing up blood, attaching to your nerves, controlling your body?

Blowing up your head?

Okay, that never happened to Ashley, but game overs do happen.

Game over.

You Are Dead.

* * *

"Chica!" A muddy boot taps against your thigh roughly. "Chica!"

You wake up again. You've decided that if you're inevitably going to go through the terrifying story of Resident Evil 4, you might as well rest up for it. But now Don Pablo is lightly kicking your leg to wake you, and talking to three of his friends in Spanish. They hoist you up and move you to the end of the loft, where you can look down to the bottom floor of the barn. Two more Ganados wait there, their arms stretched out as if…

"Uh, I'd rather _Leon _be the one to catch me when I jump, thanks."

They stare at you, then one turns you so your back is to the edge, and pushes you over.

You're tied up, so you can't flail your arms. You scream for a split second before you land harshly in the Ganados' hairy arms. The thin rope cuts into you and scrapes your skin. This really sucks.

The other Ganados descend the ladder, and all of them surround you as they lead you away from the farm and down more paths. After a long while, you see Mendez's house, until that is swallowed by the thick forest. Eventually, you reach a very gloomy and dark cemetery. The Illuminados' insignia is everywhere. You can see pairs of glowing red eyes peeking out from hiding places in sheds and behind trees, waiting for Leon. You feel scared, and your heart races, thinking about the suspense in the game that is now very real.

An unearthly howl makes you jump and almost scream. A dog stares at you from the top of a far away hill. A huge, evil dog. You're scared.

"Aqui esta," ("Here it is") a Ganado mutters, approaching the giant wooden doors of the foreboding church. Man, this place is creepy…

The doors open loudly. Scattered candelabras shine very brightly in the otherwise dark church. The insignia decorates every window and is on the cover of what seems to be their twisted Bible. But you don't get a chance to see much more than that. The Ganados lead you to a little corridor, cut the ropes that bind you, and force you to climb a short ladder to an elevated hallway. There, you are led to your final little prison cell, for now.

They mutter something to each other in Spanish and cackle at you as they lock the thick wooden door, and soon, all is quiet. You scrape the grime off your feet by wiping them against a nearby crate, then sit in the back of the moldy-smelling room and wait. Looking around, you can barely see anything but crates and bags - it's very dark. You wonder how long it'll take Leon to arrive.


	5. Chapter 4: Leon S Kennedy

The door is pushed open loudly, which wakes you up. Startled, you jump to your feet, and the Ganados laugh at your skittishness. They speak quickly in Spanish with filthy grins on their unshaved faces and point at you. One of them approaches you and pokes your arm, joking to the others about something that obviously amuses them. You slap his hand away, and the trio cackles loudly at you again. Their red eyes are full of glee when they finally leave you alone. For some reason, they find you a very interesting person. Maybe Mendez told them something about the "stupid American girl."

You have decided that Ganados suck.

* * *

The door is pushed open loudly, which wakes you up. Startled, you jump to your feet, and Leon puts up his hands reassuringly. "It's okay. My name's Leon. I was sent here by the government of the United States to rescue you. Everything's gonna be just fine."

_Oh, yes it is!_ You suppress a smile. Leon looks even better in real life! "It didn't take you long to get here."

Leon seems surprised by your lack of "Oh, thank you, thank you for saving me from these scary people!", but shrugs. "I was notified of your disappearance only hours after you were taken. Then I used government transportation to come here." He helps you up politely.

"Oh. …Why is the government sending you out here to rescue me? I'm not that special. I'm no President's daughter."

He shakes his head. "I don't question orders, I just follow 'em. Now we need to get going if I'm going to get you home soon. Come on." He exits the room, and you wordlessly follow. Leon jumps down to the hallway below, and holds out his arms to catch you. Your heart skips with glee. Eagerly, you fall into his waiting arms.

Landing nearly knocks the wind out of you, but for a moment you're so close to strong, handsome, nine-years-older-than-you Leon. Wow.

He moves to put you down when he notices your feet. "No shoes?" Leon looks at you quizzically and pitifully.

You nod. "My flip-flops fell off when Kr- my kidnapper took me."

"That's really too bad, there's a lot of unfriendly terrain around here." He sets you down. Darn.

"I know. But I think I've gotten used to it." You pause, thinking. "I did ask them for shoes, but the guys only laughed at me."

Leon chuckles. "Well, the folks around here don't exactly speak English."

"Yeah, I asked them in Spanish, and I knew what I was saying, but they didn't do anything."

He looks surprised. "You can speak Spanish?"

You nod sheepishly. "Some. I'm not very good."

"Can you negotiate with the people here?"

"…Maybe a little. I really don't know too many words. But something tells me there's no negotiating with them, Leon."

He nods. "They are very hostile. But that can be easily dealt with." Leon pulls out his slightly-upgraded 9 mm. handgun. You almost sigh. It could be so much better. You can't wait for the riot-gun.

"I don't know if the Ganados are all we're going to have to face…"

Leon narrows his eyes. "'Ganados?' What's that?"

"Means 'cattle.' That's the term for the infected townsfolk."

"Hm. Did you learn anything else?"

Oh, my. This is quite critical, isn't it? You only know everything that could ever happen to the two of you! You could spill the whole can of beans right here, and tip Leon off about _everything_. But then what would happen? Would you really get out of Spain that much quicker? Or would you still have to deal with… what the game has in store?

What to say?

"Well, I figured out that they're a part of this whole religious group called the Los Illuminados, and that involves infecting followers with a parasite called the Las Plagas. The parasite hatches and grows inside of you, and then attaches to your nerves and can control you. But it usually doesn't do that unless it's commanded by a leader figure. And that's Saddler."

"The townspeople are infected with a mind-controlling parasite? Well, that would explain their unique hospitality to tourists." You love Leon's dialogue. "But who's Saddler?"

"_I_ am Osmond Saddler, Mister Kennedy, and you are stealing my specimen! I suggest that you take her to the congregation hall, and leave her with me." Saddler's voice echoes throughout the building. Looks like he got sick of waiting for the two of you to come out of the hallway, and the cutscene started anyway. Here we go.

Leon rushes into the next room, and you follow. Saddler stands at the pulpit, holding the creepy, pulsating Plaga Staff. His pale eyes glitter in the firelight. Leon stands protectively in front of you. So nice. "What do you want with Nicole, Saddler?"

"I only wish to use this insignificant American girl to help… promote my religion. No harm will come to her, Mister Kennedy, I can assure you of that. Unless, of course, you get in my way."

"It seems to me like you could use any one of your brainwashed followers rather than her! Why don't you just let her go free? I'll be sure to stay 'out of your way.' But if you really don't want to do that, I may get annoying."

"You already are, Mister Kennedy," Saddler sneers, "and you do not want to be. You will not leave Spain alive. Now hand over the girl."

Leon laughs coldly. "There's no chance of that happening."

Saddler frowns, his eyes narrowing. "Then I will just have to take Nicole from you by force. But then again, if I keep you alive long enough, I could just have you bring her to me personally. It really would save a lot of effort on my part."

Leon draws back. "What do you mean by that?"

"Do you not yet know, Mister Kennedy? I thought you understood more than you were letting on, but it seems that you are just an ignorant American after all. When you were captured with Luis Sera, we gave you the same… gift that all of our followers have. Soon, neither of you will be able to resist your Lord's calling."

A cold chill rushes through you. "You gave me the Plaga! And Leon, too!"

Now Leon's angry. "What!? Saddler, you _monster_!" He aims his gun and fires.

You cry out, "Leon!", but it's too late. There's a dull thud as the bullet hits Saddler's chest, then silence as he glares at Leon.

"I can see that the two of you are going to be difficult. Very well, then," he throws the bullet back at Leon, his chest devoid of blood, "I will simply summon more followers to contain you. A few special friends will also be recruited. Mister Kennedy, this failed attempt will be the closest you ever come to stopping me. You will either die or become my follower. And Nicole, you will be able to go home someday soon, and share your gift with everyone. But first, I am going to request a little assistance."

Twenty Ganados burst through the windows and brandish their weapons, staring at you with glowing red eyes. Saddler is gone.


	6. Chapter 5: The Cabin

**Author's Note:** Here's a nice, long chapter since I've been gone for a while. I'll leave again soon for a second week of camp, but will be sure to update before and after that.

Enjoy:3

* * *

Leon is amazing. He only hesitates for a moment as he assesses the situation, then he unloads his gun with stunning accuracy into the heads of most Ganados. Those that don't lose their heads in brilliant explosions of blood and brain are killed instead by the sheer number of bullets pumped into them. But there are too many. Leon instantaneously switches from handgun to shotgun and literally blows the rest of the Ganados away. One continues to stalk him, headless, blood spouting from its neck like a fountain. Leon simply kicks it away, and it falls with a wonderful thud. You hope that that was the Ganado that poked your arm and laughed. _It's not so funny now, is it? No! You're dead! HA! _That's _funny!_

Just as the last Ganado utters a dying moan, a group of robed Illuminados throw open the door behind you, raising deadly bow-guns. Leon curses, and glances around. The safest way to escape the continuing assault is the large window to your right.

He takes your hand, your heart skips a beat, and together you sprint to the window. Flaming arrows whistle through the air and clash against stone walls as the Illuminados attempt to kill you both. One is so close to the back of your skull that it sends small rocks flying through the air, and several bounce off of the back of your neck. Another loudly cuts into the wall just above your head. You do not let go of Leon.

He releases your hand at the last minute and crosses his forearms over his face protectively as he crashes through the window, and you break through the glass beside him. The _thrill _is unbelievable. You feel the cold glass press against your skin for an instant before it gives way and shatters in front of you, and suddenly you are falling with the misty rain through the black night. A rush of adrenaline sends your stomach flipping. Landing on the concrete below knocks the wind out of you and bruises your knees and hip. You lie still for a moment, breathing hard and throbbing, before getting up.

It's eerily silent, save for Leon's panting. He turns to you, and a sheen of sweat on his forehead reflects dim moonlight. "Are you all right?"

You nod. "Just a little… shaken up." You look down at yourself. Your pink Hollister t-shirt is blood-stained, and your green Bermuda shorts are filthy. Your feet… "Will I ever be able to get shoes?"

Leon reloads his gun, now more relaxed. "I'm sure one of the corpses around here will be your size, if you don't mind scavenging a little."

You shake your head, although you are definitely inwardly grossed out. "Whatever works."

Leon smiles reassuringly. "Come on. Let's get you home." You follow him away from the church (careful not to step on any glittering shards of glass) and into the real horrors and trials of the game.

After a few ambushes by waiting Ganados, the two of you finally reach the farm. Leon blasts through several lurking Ganados -you still aren't used to the real blood and carnage- and leads you into the barn further back. You follow him up the ladder, onto the roof, and let him catch you jumping off the platform as the two of you make your way to a very tall wooden gate.

"I can't get past this without your help," he explains. "I think you might be tall enough to climb over and unlock it from the other side if you stand on my shoulders."

"I'm about 120 pounds…" you admit, glancing at him sheepishly.

He chuckles. "That's nothing." Leon approaches the gate, and bends over. "Here, get up."

You're a little nervous about this. "Wha- what if there are Ganados on the other side? They'll take me, and there won't be anything you can do."

Leon frowns. "I… guess you could take a peek before you climb over. And if anyone's there, I'll let you down and we'll just find another route."

You know that there is no other route. You tentatively scramble onto Leon's back, then plant one foot on each of his sturdy shoulders and steady yourself as he slowly straightens up. You can just see over the gate, and there's no one there, but it'll take a lot of upper body strength to climb over. The fall doesn't look like it'll be any fun, either.

"I'm not sure that I can do this," you protest, your voice quavering.

"Just try," Leon growls through gritted teeth. "Hurry up. My shoulders are feeling it now."

You take a deep breath, then grab the top of the gate with both hands. You pull yourself up with as much force as you can muster, your arms shaking, and your torso manages to clear the top of the gate.

"You got it?" Leon calls.

You claw at the gate with your feet, trying to get your legs up and over the top. "Kind of. You can let me go now." You say that more out of courtesy, you really have no idea if you'll be able to stay up once Leon steps away.

He draws back, and you just manage to hang on and roll over the top of the gate and drop yourself, feet first. It hurts, and you fall back on your butt, but you're okay. You get up, brush off your butt, and remove the thick wooden plank used to bar the gate shut.

"Okay, come on over."

Leon pushes the gate open, and smiles pleasantly at you as he walks through, pulling out his handgun. "Thanks."

You grin right back.

* * *

"That merchant is an interesting guy," you comment while you gaze at the stars. The flickering blue light of the merchant's unique torches gives way to darkness as the two of you walk farther away. 

"Yeah. His accent is unique." Leon tucks away a newly-purchased First-Aid Spray. "I wonder where he gets all his stuff?"

You look down, pondering, and then freeze. There's a torch-flanked bridge up ahead, and if you squint, you can make out the walls of a very large, very square cabin.

You know what's coming. This could be the end.

You swallow, frightened. "Um, Leon-"

"_Alli esta!_" ("There he is!") That familiar, terrible cry pierces the darkness behind you. Both of you look back, and -as you anxiously expected- an endless horde of Ganados, each armed with a torch and a weapon, is stampeding towards you. You glance around momentarily for the merchant - and see a blue figure disappear into the woods to your right. So he _doesn't _just teleport…

Leon grabs your hand and the two of you race across the bridge. When you make it to the other side, the Ganados have only just begun to cross the bridge, but ahead of you -on the other side of the cabin- you can hear and see two log gates moving, and more armed Ganados pour out of them, yelling at the two of you. You turn cold with fear. "Leon, this isn't good…" Lightning crashes around the area, and an arriving storm rumbles in the thick, dark clouds.

Leon glances around and assesses the situation, and the conveniently placed cabin. "Hate to say it, but we're sandwiched all right. Quick! In that cabin!" You both sprint inside, and Leon immediately begins to push heavy furniture in front of doors and partly boarded windows. You stand around aimlessly, trying to figure out how you can help him, until a pipe soars over your head, which Leon sees and catches. He uses that to seal a door shut as you turn around.

Luis Sera saunters towards the two of you, pulling out his gun. "Small world, eh?" It amuses you that this real experience barely deviates from the game, even in dialogue. He flashes you a charming smile. "Well, this must be Nicole, the damsel in distress." He walks towards you, returning his gun to the leather holster on his hip, and holds out his hand. "I am Luis Sera, and I'm on your side. That picture Leon showed me didn't lie - you are a _cute _little thing."

You bite your lower lip and shake your head as you politely shake his hand. "I'm seventeen, Luis. Even on the other side of the world from America, I'm sure flirting with me is illegal somehow."

Luis takes another daring step. "And what if it isn't?"

You can't help but smile, this is so typical of him. "Then you're a-"

"Luis, are you going to help me, or are we all going to wind up dead because you want to relive high school?" Leon's pretty ticked, and he glares at Sera as he shoves an empty bookshelf into place.

Luis shrugs. "Ay yi, yi, I'm coming!" He smirks at you. "Are American men always this uptight? I'm not like him, you know."

You look away and suppress another grin as he investigates the upstairs room. _No, you're not like him at all, Luis…_ A cry startles you, and you look out the window. Torches flicker brightly on the wooden boards that partially seal it as the sea of Ganados inches closer. "Leon! They're here!"

Your hero mutters a word that shouldn't be typed here and calls for Luis, pulling out his handgun. "Luis! Get down here! I'm gonna need some backup!" He looks at you as he positions himself by a window. "Hide upstairs." You nod, and obediently rush up the stairs two at a time as Luis runs down.

"They're all over the place! …Well, this is good target practice." He pulls out his weapon, and gunshots ring loudly in your ears. You take note of the bold green herb sitting on a table and the pack of handgun ammo on the bed. You approach the ammo, and are amused that no menu pops up, asking if you want to take it. You sit down on the bed as you wait for this attack to be over.

Wood splinters loudly downstairs, signaling that the Ganados have broken in. More curses and gunshots can be heard. You play with the bed sheets, surprised at how neatly they were made. As the minutes crawl by with no audible decline in the attack, you wonder just how many more Ganados there are. Cautiously, you peek out of the window beside you. Hmm. Not too many more; another minute or two and this should all be done-

"_La chica esta alli!_" ("The girl is there!") screams a raspy-voiced female. As lightning flashes, you can see dozens of pairs of red eyes look up at you.

Oh, no.

Now they are all shouting mysterious instructions to each other in Spanish, and soon two ladders have been raised against windows on either side of you. You can hear Ganados slowly climbing them, and immediately panic. Your voice bursts out of you. "_Leon!_"

The struggle below is intensely loud, and you wonder if he even heard you. A bald head appears on your right and gray hairs are visible to your left. Their torches have been left behind in favor of a sickle and an axe. You glance around desperately for some sort of potential weapon as two more Ganados can be heard scaling the ladders. You gather your breath and scream as loudly as you can.

Now Leon hears you, but it's too late. The Ganados rush towards you from both sides and try to overwhelm you. You throw yourself forward and dodge them, but the long, curved blade of Don Manuel's sickle slices into your right calf. Warm blood runs down your throbbing leg as you try to get back on your feet, but Don Pablo helps you.

He grabs your upper arm and very roughly pulls you up. Don Manuel takes your other arm, and both pull you toward the window by the bed. You're limping on your wounded leg, and pain shoots up it and your spine with each step. Your captors call out to Ganados down below, who respond. Two more Ganados are prowling around the room, and even more are climbing the ladders.

The other pair of Ganados rush to the stairs with a cry as the two holding you push you against the window, trying to force you out. A small group of Ganados waits below to catch you, but their numbers are being depleted by Luis' gun. A crash startles you, and two heads split open behind you as Leon blasts at them with his shotgun. He curses, and shouts "Get your hands off of her!"

Don Manuel and Pablo try to shove you out of the window, but Leon stops them both with several rounds that leave fist-sized holes in both of their stomachs. You can feel blood dripping from your hair, and as you turn around, your left foot nudges a severed ring finger.

The bodies drop to the floor, splashing in puddles of their own blood. Your leg feels nearly numb with pain, but you manage to smile at Leon. The bodies are too close; you step back a bit in order to better maneuver around them to Leon.

Bad move.

A pair of grimy arms binds you to a male Ganado that had been climbing to the window. The ladder wobbles and threatens to fall backward. A frightened chill rushes through you as rain sprays against your back and thunder crashes in the sky. Your heart nearly stops when a shot explodes from behind you, and the Ganado's arms fall limp around you. His head lolls onto your shoulder, blood oozing from between his teeth. The ladder stays put, but the dead Ganado begins to fall back, taking you with him.

Leon catches you by your shoulders and pushes the Ganado away. All is silent, save for the sickening thud of the Ganado hitting the ground, the pouring rain, and Leon's panting. "Are you all right?" he asks, pulling you carefully inside.

"I-I…" You can only look down at your bleeding leg. Leon sees the wound, and guides you to the bed, and sits you down.

"You're gonna be okay. Luis and I got rid of all the villagers. I'll take care of you now." Leon pulls out a First-Aid Spray and uncaps it.

Luis' voice is barely heard over the heavy rain. "Is she okay? I got him! Is she going to be all right?" He's standing outside, reloading his gun. Not that you care too much. You can barely think through the pain.

Leon inspects the wound. "It looks deep, but it's nothing that this spray can't handle." He looks at you. "All I'm gonna do is spray this on the wound, okay? It's going to bubble a lot, and it might sting. But it'll disinfect the cut and make the blood clot and form a scab faster, and you'll heal a lot quicker. Okay?" You wish you could concentrate. "Nicole?" He brushes a gentle hand against your arm. You meet his eyes.

Luis pounds up the stairs. "Hey! Did I not just save her life? You could just take a moment to tell me that you guys are still alive!" He sees the blood pooling around your right foot. "That… doesn't look good."

Leon soaks the gash with First-Aid Spray. "She'll be just fine, Luis." He caps the medicine, and you all watch as it fizzes and bubbles on the cut and most of the trail of blood. It's very cold, but not for long before your calf begins to sting. That lasts about ten seconds before you can't feel your lower leg at all. The fizzing continues wildly for another fifteen seconds, and then stops altogether. You slowly regain feeling in your leg, and notice that the cut has been sealed naturally. Leon uses part of the sheets on the bed to wipe away the blood. He smiles at you.

"You're a mess." A loud clap of thunder causes you all to jump.

Luis puts his gun away, stretching. "Well, this has been an interesting night. But I have things to do, so I'll leave you two alone." He looks at you. "Maybe we'll see each other again."

Leon stands up, setting his shotgun beside you. "Something tells me we'll cross paths again soon. Thanks for your help, Luis."

Luis shrugs as he stands at the top of the stairs. "Like I said, good target practice." You hear him walk downstairs, and soon the sound of his footsteps fades away.

Leon turns to you. "How does your leg feel?"

You smile at him. "Much better. Thank you." You stifle a yawn. Thunder rumbles above.

Leon picks up his shotgun, reloads it, and puts it away. He offers you his hand. "We'd better get going before more villagers come back."

You look away for a moment, tired, wanting sleep, but you know you must keep moving. There'll probably be a better place to sleep somewhere soon. You take his hand, and follow him outside.


	7. Chapter 6: El Gigante y el Mercante

You only need to be in the rain for about three seconds until it has washed away nearly all of the blood that had stained your clothes and hair. You hate the feeling of mud squishing between your toes. You kick a body in frustration, then wish you hadn't. It's soft and fleshy.

"Wait, Leon," you call. He stops and turns to you expectantly. "I wanna see if she has my size."

Leon nods, and you swallow and pull off one shoe. Gross. You slip it onto your foot. Really gross, but really snug. It feels good to wear shoes again, even if they're black and look like they were made in the late 1800's. You pull on the other one, and take a few steps to test them out. You smile grimly. "I think I can tolerate these."

Leon gazes at you with pity, but seems unsure of what to do to help your... uncomfortable situation. "I feel really bad that you're stuck resorting to this. Bad day to wear flip-flops, I guess."

You nod and shrug, then follow him to the two gates and levers. Another chance to decide your fate. To the left, more Ganados and the Bella Sisters. To the right, one Gigante. To you, personally, it's no contest. But Leon has no idea.

The two of you stand in the sheltered nook in the warm glow of two large torches that flank the entrance. The levers are directly in front of Leon. "Wonder which way is safer," he mutters.

You could tell him what goes where. Or, better yet, suggest the path that you know you're more likely to survive. To you, the latter sounds better. "Leon, I have a pretty good feeling about the right lever. Or at least, a less negative feeling."

His answer surprises you. "Yeah, me too. Either way, we're getting attacked by something." He gazes at you with sympathy. "I don't want to put you through anything else tonight; you've already been through enough at the cabin. But we're just not safe here. Nicole, can you last just a little longer until I find us a safe place to rest?"

You nod. "I'll last as long as you need me to. Whatever gets us home soonest."

Leon sighs. "I guess we'll go right." He pulls the lever. A loud whirring and a crack follows, then nothing. You follow Leon to the gate, and he pushes it open. The narrow, cliff-flanked path looks exactly as it did in the game, including the poorly-supported wooden platform with the boulder.

"Leon." He stops and turns to you, blonde hair glistening in the rain. "I can see a boulder up there, on a platform."

He looks up, and frowns. "Hm, that may be a trap. I've had boulders thrown at me before. Wait here, I'll go ahead." Your heart begins to pound as Leon walks cautiously forward, his handgun raised. As soon as he is below the boulder, a deep, throaty roar echoes through the canyon. A Gigante leaps onto the pathway from the cliffs above and roars again, stretching out its muscular arms. It glares at Leon and scrutinizes you with two bright eyes. Its giant teeth grind against each other like slabs of granite as it stampedes towards Leon.

You run to one side of the pathway and shout, "Leon! Use your rifle to shoot a support on the platform! The boulder could hit the monster!"

He looks up again as he runs, then nods at you. The ground cracks and shakes underneath of you as the Gigante passes Leon, coming closer to you. You back into the gate, eyes wide. Leon switches his handgun for a TMP and pumps bullets into the wild Gigante. The instantaneous explosions from the gun briefly illuminate Leon as he shoots. The monster stops and turns, and kicks Leon with a grey leg as thick as a tree-trunk. He flies through the air and collides harshly with a rock wall, then crumples to the ground.

Your face turns white. "_Leon!_" The Gigante looks at you. "No…" It walks towards you, growling, its unintelligent eyes not leaving your trembling figure for a second. Soon, it towers over you, and you can feel its hot breath stirring the hair on your scalp. With a cry, it wraps a meaty fist around your entire body, completely immobilizing you. You scream to Leon again.

Globs of warm saliva collect on your shirt as the Gigante turns around, large mouth open, and lifts you high over its head. It is going to throw you into the ground and crush you.

"Hang on, Nicole!" Leon shouts, a desperate edge to his voice. "I won't let it hurt you!" You see the red line point directly at the Gigante's chest just before Leon presses down on the trigger and doesn't let go. The Gigante stumbles and roars.

And drops you.

You crash into its rock-hard shoulder and partially roll down its arm before it stumbles again and you free-fall to the earth. Leon sprints to you just in time, and catches you just before you slam into the ground. He continues running with you until you are on the other side of the alley, by the exit. "I'm sorry," he breathes, "I'm sorry, Nicole."

Leon lets you go and switches to a rifle as the stunned Gigante slowly trudges towards you again. You see Leon aim, and hear a quick blast and a loud snap as the support on the wooden platform is broken. The platform splinters and breaks under the weight of the boulder, which bounces down the cliff and onto the thick skull of the Gigante. The crack is deafening and makes you cringe.

As Leon replaces his rifle with the TMP and reloads it, the monster groans and clutches its bleeding head. It staggers towards Leon, blood pouring from its mouth, and drops to one knee. The Gigante's back splits open and a mess of blood and brownish fluids spill out as a monstrous Plaga grapples at the air with long, slimy tentacles. Leon sees this and curses.

"Stay here, Nicole! Looks like this is it." He drops his TMP and unsheathes a knife as he runs behind the Gigante and climbs onto its back. You can hear disgusting squishing and slashing noises as Leon cuts at the Plaga, which shrieks loudly. Blood and fluids spray everywhere.

With a despaired roar, the Gigante falls, its eyes rolling to the back of its head. The Plaga becomes limp and shrinks back into the gaping hole in the monster's back. Leon utters a short cry as he falls with the Gigante, and rolls off of its back and onto the ground. The knife flies out of his hands and becomes embedded in the earth. The stone walls tremble (and so do you) when the Gigante crashes into the stone floor. Once again, rain and thunder are all that can be heard.

"Leon!" you run to him, your shoulder aching, and weakly help him up. Both of you are soaked, your clothes plastered to your bodies, with water and filth. You shiver. "Are you all right?"

He smiles. "I should be asking you the same thing." You reach down and retrieve the knife, and hold it out for Leon when he returns to you with his TMP. "Thank you." He glances at the dripping, grotesque corpse. "I'm sorry… that I let it get to you."

You shake your head. "Leon, don't apologize! It's a huge, strong monster. That was probably going to happen no matter what." He doesn't seem convinced.

Something shiny catches your eye. "We got money." Leon looks over, chuckles, and picks up a generous amount of gold that the Gigante had carried. The two of you leave the area.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, the rain has stopped, and the lift comes into view. "Oh, no…"

Leon looks at you. "What's wrong?"

You try not to sound too apprehensive. "I just… have a bad feeling about that ski lift."

Leon chuckles. "It _does_ look evil and foreboding, doesn't it? I'm guessing that we're going to have to ride that soon. But hey, don't worry - I'll protect you."

You smile at him. "I know." You approach the lift station, and are greeted with the loud groaning of long-neglected gears. The lift is moving. The two of you wordlessly jump onto the next lift.

The air becomes cold as the lift ascends through the black sky. You stare ahead, awaiting the oncoming Ganados. Soon, multiple pairs of red eyes emerge from the darkness. Leon aims his handgun. "I knew it." You did, too.

He shoots at approaching Ganados, and both of you relish the fading screams as they fall to the ground far below. Suddenly, your lift is rocked by a weight from above, and you both look up as a Ganado hacks away at the chains supporting you with an axe. Leon shoots him several times, and the Ganado falls to his death. The upper lift station is much closer.

Two more Ganados throw weapons at Leon. One flies to your right, the other grazes Leon's shoulder. He cries out, then blasts away at the attackers, and within seconds the assault is over.

You arrive at the lift station. Blood trickles down Leon's shoulder. The two of you jump off, and Leon checks the area before pulling out a green herb. You've always wondered how they work. He rolls up his sleeve to fully expose the gash, then Leon tears up the plant and sprinkles its tattered remains on the wound. He notices that you are watching, interested. "It's an amazing plant," he explains. "This is actually one of the main ingredients in that First-Aid Spray I carry around. By itself, it can't do much but stop the bleeding and help the blood to clot, but mixed with a red and golden herb, it completely heals virtually any mild injury. It's a wonder that so many of these herbs are around here." Leon opens the suitcase and shows you several vials of ground-up herbs, including a few green herbs that lay by themselves. There are only two First-Aid sprays, and three packs of handgun ammo, five of shotgun ammo, and two of rifle ammo. The rifle, TMP, and shotgun are squeezed beside each other in the small case. "I've already begun mixing some of the herbs I've found, so we'll be okay for a while." He snaps the suitcase shut and locks it, rolls down his sleeve, and the two of you press onward.

A few more Ganados greet you as you navigate the pathways, but Leon lets you throw a live grenade at them and quickly end the fight. You practiced with rocks before, so your aim is good. Leon looks amused. "By the time we get out of here, you'll be a one-girl army."

You laugh. "Speaking of one-person armies, there's the merchant." The two of you ascend the stairs and approach him.

His pale blue eyes appear sinisterly pleased to see you both. "Welcome!" The merchant opens his coat to reveal health sprays and several weapon upgrades, and stands to the side to let you see other wares that he has set up for your arrival. You find the array of new guns very interesting.

"Where's the rocket launcher?" you politely inquire.

The merchant's eyes narrow, and Leon looks very interested. "You aren't gonna get _that_ particular merchandise until you got the need for it, stranger! I don't like to waste my best products on small vermin like these villagers. When worse things come around, I'll sell it to yeh."

Now Leon's eyes narrow. "A rocket launcher? How many of those do you have?"

The merchant stares at him defensively. "I got as many as I need to have! This ain't none of your business, are yeh gonna buy somethin' or not?"

Leon glances at the bulging pouch of Pesetas in his hand. "Are you sure you really want to argue with your only customer?"

The merchant scoffs at Leon. You bite your lower lip. "Bah! It doesn't matter to me whether you die or not. I'm just here for the money, and when my source o' profit disappears, so do I."

Leon shakes his head. "Whatever. Let me sell you some of the treasure I found."

The merchant's eyes shine. "More o' them Spinels? Good for jewelry, those are." Leon sells all of the treasure and purchases a few upgrades, and another First-Aid Spray. The merchant grins, but you wouldn't know. "Come back anytime!"


	8. Chapter 7: Into the Castle

A large warehouse lies nestled among thick trees. Leon approaches the doors, but turns to you. "Nicole, go hide." You nod, anxious of the upcoming boss fight, and find a cluster of boxes to crouch among. You hear Leon enter the building, and for a few long minutes afterwards, nothing. Then, a gunshot and an explosion. The windows shatter as flames pour out. An inhuman groaning follows, and you know that the battle has started.

Random, desperate gunshots and more inhuman cries are all that you hear for a long while. Your legs cramp up as you wait, so you stretch them out as much as you can in the tiny space. The crunching of feet on packed earth and leaves startles you, and out of cautious fear you hold your breath. You press your hands against the sides of two crates beside you to steady yourself, and wait for whoever is coming to pass.

You pray that they won't find you.

The footsteps trudge closer to your hiding place. Your chest begins to heave, craving air. A loud thud shakes the entire warehouse. The footsteps stop. Spanish talk. The footsteps hurry away.

Thank goodness for convenient boss battles.

You listen for a moment until your mouth pops open and sucks in air instinctively, an instant before you had intended to resume breathing. Fortunately, no one is around anymore to hear you gasping. You relax your arms and let your butt hit the dirt below you. Something shrieks at you. You jump.

A mouse was just about to sit there, and you took its spot, meanie!

"This pile of crates is big enough for the two of us," you snap. "Find your own little hiding place." It cleans itself and shrieks at you again. "Go away! You're a dirty little mouse! Ew!" You nudge it with your foot. It bites on the filthy sole for a moment, realizes that this is a losing battle, and scurries away. You stick out your tongue at the tiny gap it disappeared through.

"Well, that's not very ladylike." Leon laughs when you jump at his sudden appearance.

"Leon!" You are instantly on your feet and clamber over the crates to get to him. "How are - you look _terrible!_"

He does. Leon is covered in blood (although you're pretty sure that most of it's not his), parts of his shirt are scorched, and numerous scratches mar his muscular arms. He also seems to be concentrating most of his weight on his right foot. You reach for the suitcase. "Here, let me help you this time." Leon allows you to unlock the suitcase and pluck out a First-Aid Spray. He holds out his arms and winces as you soak each wound on them. You dab some on with your index finger just above his left eye, and the gash there immediately starts to fizz. You back away as Leon rolls up his left pant leg and pulls down the sock, exposing a deep cut that saturates the black fabric with blood. He groans quietly when you spray this wound.

"Is that it?" you ask. Leon nods, and you smile at him. "Then that should do it." You wait patiently for the healing medicine to take effect, then Leon fixes his clothing and you are off.

As you walk back up the path, you see the merchant again and wave. He stares back, following you with his gaze as you continue moving. Eventually, you reach the large door that you previously could not open due to its fancy retina scanner. Leon smirks at you. "That Mendez guy was nice enough to give me this." He holds up a shiny, and visibly slimy, False Eye.

Your eyes widen. "Cool! …Can I touch it?"

He chuckles and holds it out. You poke it. Sturdy, slimy, porcelain coolness.

Leon lifts it into the scanner's range of view. "I hope this works…" A red beam of light snaps from the scanner to the False Eye, and a satisfied beeping is heard. "All right. Let's get out of here." Leon opens the door.

The pathway ahead of you is quiet. _Too_ quiet. "D'you think that you could get out your rifle and check out the area ahead, Leon?" you whisper. Perhaps this will give him a heads-up to the oncoming truck.

He nods. "Good idea." Leon scans the immediate area, and frowns. "Hm. There seems to be some sort of structure up ahead-"

"_Te voy a matar!_" ("I'm going to kill you!") Several Ganados sprint towards you, bearing cruel-looking farm tools. Leon aims his rifle and picks off a few, but jumps back when a loud honking noise and bright lights burst through the darkness ahead. A truck is barreling towards you, and you are suddenly very frightened. But hey, might as well get used to it - there'll be at least two more later.

Leon swears loudly and aims the rifle at the driver's head. You _see _blood splatter all over the windshield just before the truck tips over and scrapes along the ground, slowly coming to a halt. "Whoa!" You are dragged to the side by Leon as a spare tire flies out of the back of the truck and narrowly misses your head. Wow. _That _didn't happen in the game. You sense that something in the back may have deliberately caused that…

Leon switches out the rifle in favor of the 9 mm. handgun and leads you past the smoking, groaning truck. You clutch his wrist anxiously as you pass the open trunk that is conveniently pointed at you. "Leon- _aaaah!_" A Ganado grabs you and tears you away from Leon, slinging you over his shoulder with a grunt. You kick at his chest, and he mutters in Spanish, but keeps walking. He takes less than five steps before bullets collide with his back and the Ganado falls, pinning your legs. The back of your head smacks against the ground, and you see purple spots everywhere. Dazed, you roll the body off of you and stagger to your feet. The moaning of a dying female Ganado is muffled by the ringing in your ears, until Leon fires a quick shot and she is silenced.

He looks at you with great concern. "Nicole, are you all right? Did they hurt you?"

You shake your head as the spots and ringing disappear. "No, I'm okay. Let's keep going." You pick up a bright red Incendiary Grenade and hand it to Leon, who shakes his head.

"You know how to use it. Go ahead and keep it, it should hook to one of your belt loops." Works for you. The two of you resume walking.

As you reach the top of the hill and round the bend, shouts from all sides startle both of you. Leon whirls around, and Ganados are everywhere, running towards you. He sees the drawbridge. You see the foreboding castle. He takes your hand. "C'mon!" Together, you sprint across the tree-trunk bridge, and look back. The Ganados are approaching the drawbridge. Leon turns to you. "Can you work that lever over there?" You nod. "I'll take this one! Hurry!" You run to your respective levers, and you grip the rusty handle as hard as you can and turn it even harder. Holy crap, is this heavy! How did Ashley do this?

It gets easier the more you turn it, and eventually the lever stops with a click. The halves of the drawbridge are vertical, and much loud Spanish swearing can be heard from the other side. Leon walks to you, panting slightly. "Let's hide out in here." He leads you into the castle.

You're not so thrilled.

* * *

A milestone in Resident Evil 4: Real Life Edition has been reached! Leon has purchased his first rocket launcher! He had just finished running around the immediate area inside the castle, collecting treasures (and taking your advice to "slash twice"), and earned just enough Pesetas to pay for it. Now, he takes the powerful weapon from a delighted merchant, and you gladly help him rearrange items in the suitcase to make room for it. 

"I wouldn't recommend using that beauty up quick, stranger," the merchant advises. "She's only got one shot in her - a good shot, but just one. So think before you shoot!" He sneezes.

"Bless you!" You're so giddy for the moment, since you get to touch the rocket launcher. It's so shiny, too…

Leon can barely afford the First-Aid Spray that he picks up, but he purchases it anyway, with you in mind. He happens to glance at his watch. "Wow. It's three in the morning. You've been up for forever." He looks at you. "Nicole, this place is safe - why don't you get some sleep? I'll keep watch."

You frown. "You're the one who has to protect me _and _get us out of here! You need sleep, too, Leon. When will you get some rest?"

The merchant stares at you both. "Why don't yeh both sleep, an' _I'll _keep watch? I got enough stuff on me to take out an _army _o' whatever feels like comin' after yeh!" He gestures to the fine array of weapons displayed behind him, focusing his gaze on Leon. "I even got a few beauties you won't be able to afford for a long while, stranger. Guns that literally blow these creatures away. You got nothin' to worry about. Get some shut-eye."

Now Leon frowns. "I'm not so sure-"

"Look, stranger! You're gonna drop in the middle of some pivotal fight later on if you don't shut-up an' sleep now, and where does that leave the poor little girl? I doubt that one-hundred pound little thing would even be able to pull that handgun away from your dead body in time to save herself! An' you can trust me, stranger. I don't know if yeh noticed, but I haven't been sellin' worthless junk to yeh. An' for reasonable prices, too." The merchant's gruff voice hints at concern, but you can't tell if it's caring for another's wellbeing or a smart business move.

Whatever the motive is, it works, as Leon considers what the merchant said. Finally, he sighs, "All right. You both win. But I'm counting my money, and if a single Peseta is missing when I wake up, you'll lose more than your only customer. And don't you dare touch Nicole. You stay on that side of the room, and Nicole and I will be over here."

The merchant puts up his gloved hands defensively. "I told yeh - you can trust me, stranger. And lass." You smile at him, but he just stares at both of you with bright blue eyes. "Just get some sleep, I got some work to do to keep me up."

You follow Leon to the other side of the little shed, and sit down about two feet away from him, leaning against the cold stone wall. Leon is resting against the back wall, facing the entrance, while you are slightly curled up underneath of the typewriter and flickering lantern. You stretch out your legs with a loud yawn. The merchant reloads a few impressive-looking guns, and you recognize the mine-thrower and… is that the Chicago Typewriter!? You want it sooo bad!!! Life's not fair.

Leon murmurs something to you that you don't hear. You look over, and see that he is already starting to fall asleep, with a shotgun in his lap just in case. Hm. You'll have to remind him to upgrade to a riot-gun and semi-auto rifle when you wake up.

You shift yourself a little for comfort, close your eyes, and try to sleep.

Maybe when you dream, you'll be in school, in History class or something. Or on vacation in Disneyworld. That would be nice.

Because when you wake up, thousands of Illuminados will be lurking around the castle, searching for you.


	9. Chapter 8: Sleepover

It is very dark in the shed. The lantern has gone out, so the only illumination in the entire area is blue moonlight that filters in through tall, skinny windows above.

You hear loud snoring. Sounds like the merchant couldn't stay awake after all. You squint, trying to see him on the other side of the building, and when that doesn't work, you open your eyes wide to absorb all the light you can. You can just make out a moving black lump far across from you. Leon is motionless to your left; if you concentrate, you can hear his quieter breathing. You shift again for comfort, and your neck aches.

Crap. You have to pee.

You mentally panic, since there's no toilet around at all, plus you don't want to alarm either of the two armed men close by when you get up. But you don't know if you can hold it until… who knows when? And besides, there are a lot of little crates to crouch behind where they won't see you…

No way. This is _way _too risky, in several aspects.

Thinking about this only makes the sensation worse, though. You bite your bottom lip and place the palms of your hands flat against the cold wall behind you and push your back away. No one stirs. You slowly, _slowly _curl your legs behind you and slide your hands along the ground for support as you swing your torso forward. You pause, listening, and are relieved to hear that neither breathing pattern has audibly changed. Now, with your feet facing the wall and your head pointed towards the entrance, you crawl out from underneath the table as quietly as you can and carefully tip-toe out of the building, taking care to listen to each step you make and shifting your weight on your feet to be as soundless as possible. The only sound you emit is a barely perceptible scrape of your shoes against dirt and rocks.

A cool breeze dances past, drawing your eyes to the narrow window above. The stars are bright in the clear sky, but the moon isn't visible. You turn back to see the ground in front of you, and red eyes glow from everywhere. You choke back a startled cry that nearly emerges until you blink, and see the colored irises even behind your own eyelids. Then it hits you - the "eyes" are spots in your vision caused by glancing at the light of the stars. Your heart still pounds madly. You stand still for a long time before continuing your protracted adventure to the latrine.

You are very proud of yourself when you finally make it to the back corner of the walled-in area where a pile of large crates rests. You glance around, listen for a long while, and then maneuver around and behind the wooden boxes.

* * *

Now for the hard part: Returning to your little nook under the table without waking anyone. You stand in the entrance and wait for your eyes to adjust to the darker interior of the small building. Something metallic presses against the small of your back. This time you scream. 

"_Nicole._" You feel Leon's breath on the back of your neck, and realize that both of you are extremely relieved at the other's identity. The merchant, not so much. He bellows a startled oath at your high-pitched cry, and in an instant you and Leon have glowing red dots centered on your foreheads.

He growls loudly. "The two o' yeh nearly got yourselves _killed_!" The lights disappear, and the room is suddenly illuminated by a small, blue lantern. The merchant glares at Leon, who has holstered his weapon. "And _what _are yeh doin' pointin' that gun at the girl's back? Can't you tell her from a crazed Spaniard by now?"

Leon frowns, and gently pushes you inside. You stand beside him in the middle of the building. "I knew who she was! I didn't shoot her; I _wouldn't _have. But I'm not going to ignore suspicious noises in the dark while I'm on a mission in a country full of zealous murderers!"

"_Don't _use that excuse, you're a government agent!" You can feel anger crackling in the air. The merchant has set down whatever guns he had used, but they aren't fully stored away. "You ought to be able to tell her light footwork from a man that's twice her size! I heard her movin' from the moment she stood up, and I wasn't alarmed. But _you _hear scrapin' and think that somethin' evil's out to get yeh. Maybe yeh've been out on the field too long, but I woulda' thought Raccoon City woulda' wised you up some, stranger."

You glance at Leon and see resentment flare in his light blue eyes, then he deflates, taken by surprise. "You know I was in Raccoon City?" _Whoa_.

The merchant scoffs. "What, you think I'm some mindless nomad who only knows anything about guns? Stranger, the whole _world _knows about Raccoon City, including who the heroes were." Leon remains silent, lost in thought. You wonder if he's remembering the first time a zombie tried to chew on his face. Ouch. Now that you _somewhat _relate to him in that experience, you can sort of imagine it. Not pretty.

The merchant sighs. "Look, it's only been two hours since yeh sat down. Yeh both need more sleep than that to get by. Nothin's gonna happen, and in case someone _else _needs to get up an' p--- out back I'll know who it is!"

Leon shrugs with a sigh, then looks at you. "Why don't you lay back down? You still look tired."

You smile. "I could say the same for you." In a minute, the lantern fades out, and all that you can hear is the sound of the merchant storing his wares.

* * *

Leon wakes you from a terrible nightmare. In your dream, you were completely surrounded by glowing red eyes, and Spanish whispers were all you could hear. One step in any direction provoked the Ganados. You called out, but Leon wasn't there. 

Saddler answered your call.

He appeared from the darkness, and every pair of eyes simultaneously faded away. You tried to run, but your movements were sluggish and Saddler soon caught up to you. He dug his black fingernails into your upper left arm with a cackle, and suddenly pain exploded in your abdomen. Now, Leon shakes you by your shoulders, and you are pulled from the nightmare.

But the pain stays with you.

You buckle over, squeezing your stomach with your arms, willing the pain to go away. Leon puts a hand on your back. "Nicole! Nicole, what's wrong? Talk to me!" You open your mouth to answer, but the back of your throat instantly becomes dry, and you cough. A fit overtakes you, and you feel as though there's something inside of you that your body wants to expel. After several long moments, the coughing fit subsides and you remain still, breathing heavily. Your throat and mouth become moist again, but not with blood, as you had thought.

The Plaga must not be _that _developed yet.

You dab at the water that had gathered in your eyes as you sit up. "I just had a bad dream, then a cough. I'm okay now."

Leon isn't convinced. "You were clutching your stomach. What happened? Do you need medicine?" He places one hand on the suitcase.

You smile sadly. "I don't think you have anything for Plagas."

Leon's mouth opens slightly with quiet realization. "I'm sorry… The same thing happened to me earlier, before I found you." To your surprise, he chuckles. "It was pretty bad, the pain completely knocked me out. I even coughed up some blood." Now his smile disappears. "But I won't let that happen to you. We'll be out of here before then." Leon puts the suitcase away. "Now we should get going."

You take his offered hand, and Leon pulls you from underneath the table and onto your feet. As you brush off your butt and he checks some ammo, you remember something important. "Oh! Do we have enough money to get a riot-gun and a semi-auto rifle?" The merchant, who had silently observed the previous dramatic event, now clears his throat and stands up straighter (which really isn't more of a hunched-over kinda stance).

Leon blinks. "The shotgun and rifle we have are upgraded as much as they can be."

You nod, circling your head a little. "Sooo, we can sell them for enough money to purchase the even _better _riot-gun and semi-auto rifle, and upgrade _those_." You smirk. "We need to think ahead. We're in a big, fortified castle with who knows how many nooks and crannies full of bad guys. We might not get to leave for a while. There's obviously a reason that the merchant is offering the better weapons to us now, anyway."

Leon laughs once. "You prove a very good point."

The merchant grins behind the cloth that hides his face, and opens his coat. "Got some good things on sale, stranger!"


	10. Chapter 9: Security Systems

You are very pleased with yourself as you and Leon exit the little building with your new purchases. The riot-gun looks _so _much cooler than that big, brown shotgun. The two of you head outside, and the air is sticky and humid. A breeze plasters a few hairs to the side of your face.

"_Muere, muere, muere, muere..._" ("Die, die, die, die...")

Both you and Leon freeze. The whispers come from the other side of the rounded corner.

"_Morir es vivir! Morir es vivir…_"

"'To die is to live…'"

Leon looks at you. "What did you say?"

You blink. "'To die is to live.' That's their chant. What they're saying."

Leon looks back toward the source of the voices. "That doesn't sound encouraging."

You shake your head, and follow him. Leon takes the Rifle Ammo from the crate ahead and gets the subtle clue. While he crouches behind the crate and pulls out the spankin' new semi-auto rifle, you stare ahead to see your new kidnappers.

Black hoods weave along the parapet walks above, and for a moment, a glimpse of white skin is exposed on an Illuminado to the far left. An instant later, his head explodes. Leon readies the rifle again as heads turn and blank red eyes stare. You realize that they can see you, and crouch down. The loud whispers increase in volume, then fade away. Leon raises his head over the top of the crate, searching for the Illuminados, then stands. "They're gone, but I have a feeling they only went to call for help. The minute you see _anything_, let me know." You rise and follow him, knowing that he'll definitely be able to see the flaming boulders soon to come.

Sure enough, as soon as you reach the top of the winding stairs, a raspy voice cries out, "_Alli esta. Mataloooo!_" ("There he is. Kill him!") The air heats up as the boulders are launched towards you.

"Nicole, get down!" Leon grabs your wrist and pulls you down the stairs partway. You're nearly knocked over by the powerful impact of the stones against the castle. Flaming rubble skitters everywhere. Leon switches for the handgun, and you hear more boulders being catapulted. "Wait." You nod, he leaves. The boulders crash into the castle again. You fear for his life while you wait. Chanting can be heard from far above you.

A few long minutes pass before your hero returns. "Okay, follow me!" More boulders are launched. Leon swears and takes your hand, forcing you to run faster. The ground quakes behind you and your back burns from the heat in the air alone. Within moments you are shrouded in cool shadows again. Now you're just about as sweaty as Leon is. A tall Illuminado sways into view and approaches Leon, muttering unintelligible chants. It raises its pale arms, and Leon raises his, and shoots the zealot several times. While it bleeds on the floor, you and Leon run past it and up more turning stairs. Something red in the distance catches your eye.

"Leon! Those red barrels are flammable! Shoot them and take out the catapult guys!" He takes a minute to do so, and you love the bright explosions that send flaming zealots careening through the air like rag-dolls. No more fiery boulders.

"_Muere, muere, muere…_" Cold hands clasp around your neck, then waist as an Illuminado grabs you and hoists you roughly over his shoulder.

"Aaah! Leon!" You kick. The zealot couldn't care less.

Leon shoots its legs, and you tumble to the stone floor. You land the wrong way on your right arm, but are quick to get up. The Illuminado groans and tries to stand, but only manages to raise himself to his knees. Leon rushes to him and does the coolest thing ever.

The Suplex.

You love it. You love Leon's little battle cry, the surprised sound from the Illuminado, the arch of Leon's back, the _snapping of the Illuminado's neck_. It Is Dead. You collect the Pesetas and pump your arms victoriously into the air. Ouch. Right arm still hurts.

"_Yes!_ Leon! That was _so cool! You broke its neck!_" You grin. He smirks with a chuckle.

"That's kind of the point. But thanks."

You hear more chanting and whispers. "Can you do it again?"

Leon reloads the handgun and looks around. "Don't think so. There are too many of them now, let's keep moving." Yeah, about fifteen Illuminados are coming at you from the stairs behind you. You follow Leon to the little shed on the other side of the platform. Inside, an Illuminado swipes at him with a huge scythe, but a moment later it's dead on the floor. Leon hands you the knife. "Get what's in here; I'll protect you. Don't forget to slash twice." You feel a small rush of adrenaline as you approach a box and cut it to pieces with one strike. Nothing. Another box reveals some Pesetas, and a barrel in the corner gives you a Grenade. You attach it to a belt loop, beside another Grenade and an Incendiary Grenade.

Leon blasts away at the approaching zealots, but they crowd the door. He curses and steps back to switch his handgun for the riot-gun, and while he's backed away, you pull the pin on your new Grenade and toss it out a front window. The Illuminados go boom. Much shrieking is heard. Then silence.

Leon is also silent for a moment as he stares at the mound of distorted bodies. Then he smiles at you. "Can you do that again sometime?"

You grin. "Anytime your butt needs saving, yeah." He chuckles, you giggle, it's all good.

* * *

After watching Leon blast open the large wooden gate with a cannon and heading inside to barter with the merchant, you walk away with a First-Aid Spray hooked onto another belt loop, and Leon carries more Pesetas and less Velvet Blues. Leon guides you into the main body of the castle, where directly in front of you a glimmering Platinum Sword is mounted on the wall. You take it at Leon's request, and follow him upstairs. He eliminates the waiting Illuminados with much shooting and kicking while you wait by the stairs, sword in hand. One zealot stalks a little too closely to you. In a moment of panic, you stab him with the conveniently pointy weapon. The Illuminado stares at you with red eyes full of anger and agony, even a bit of surprise at your sudden action. Then it dies. And takes you with its limp body when it falls. 

You land on top of it with a gasp, hands still gripping the hilt tightly. You face smashes into its robed chest awkwardly, and you immediately recover and stand up, hoping Leon didn't see that. When you look up, he's watching you with an almost amused expression.

"Shut up," you snap, pulling out the sword with effort. Blood splashes onto your shorts and pools around your feet. He visibly holds back a laugh. You wave the sword threateningly. "Keep walking, Leon." He laughs and moves into the next room, where you once again take loot and he snatches a Golden Sword.

He stares at it. "This is stupid."

You watch blood drip from the Platinum Sword. "What?"

"We have to go back downstairs and put this sword in the golden slot, then run back up here and put your sword in the silver slot."

"It's Platinum."

He shrugs. "Whatever. It's still stupid. What kind of security system is this? Switching swords…"

You nod. "Yeah. Spain has issues."

Leon sighs. "Tell you what, why don't I run downstairs and put this where it belongs while you stick that in the _Platinum _slot? Two birds with one stone."

You grin at him. "_Genius_!" He waves a hand at you. As he saunters downstairs, you nearly skip to your destination with glee. Leon is _such _fun to be stranded in a foreign country with.

You place the Platinum Sword in its proper slot, and jump back in surprise when it slides back and into the wall, revealing a red metal door. Leon can be heard walking downstairs, apparently collecting Handgun Ammo and Pesetas that had previously been overlooked. The back of your throat dries up. A cough forces its way out of your chest, followed by several more powerful coughs. You bend over, breathing hard. Blood drips onto the floor from between your lips. You swallow metallic spit, and wipe your mouth with the back of your hand as Leon climbs the stairs. You smear the blood on the floor with your shoe in an attempt to erase it, and don a pleasant face when Leon appears, although you are inwardly horrified. Even though you expected this, it's still scary to actually experience coughing up blood.

Leon tucks a few hundred Pesetas away while he walks, and seems surprised by the sudden emergence of the door. "I guess that's our way out. C'mon." He opens the door with a loud creak and readies his handgun while you follow him to a large, open area.

"Leon!" Luis saunters into view from the side. Where did _he _come from?

Leon lowers his weapon with relief. "Luis." You smile.

"I've got something for you guys." Luis fishes through his pockets momentarily, and suddenly looks panicked. He pats at his clothes desperately. "Uh… what? Oh, _s---!_ I must have dropped it when I was running away from them."

"Dropped what?" If Ashley isn't around to say the lines, you might as well move the cut scenes along.

Luis frowns. "A drug that'll stop your convulsions." Now Leon frowns, and Luis sighs. "Look, I know you are carriers. You've been coughing up blood, right?"

Leon looks away with a hesitant gaze. "…Yeah."

Sera turns to you with a grave expression, obviously dreading your reply. His voice lowers. "And you?"

Well, you can't lie. "Yeah." _Just now, in fact. Lucky me._

"D--- it! The eggs have hatched." Luis turns away. "We don't have much time."

Leon steps forward. "What are you talking about?"

Sera ignores him and begins to leave. "I have to go back and get it." He stops for a moment, and turns his head in your direction. "You stay here with Leon. He'll keep you safer than I can. I'm sure." Luis resumes sauntering away.

So sad. "Luis…"

Leon holds up a hand. "Why are you-?"

"It makes me feel better." Luis' voice is dark. "Let's just leave it at that." He disappears into the castle. As you turn and follow Leon, you realize that that was the last time you'll see Luis alive.


	11. Chapter 10: Detours

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long delay! I thought I'd give you an extra-long chapter to make up for it. :)

* * *

After running, shooting, and collecting the Castle Gate Key, you and Leon finally enter the large, elaborately decorated and very shiny foyer. You only take a few more steps before a high-pitched cackle startles you both. 

"Mmm-hee-hee-hee-hee-ha…"

You follow Leon closer to the torch-flanked balcony.

"Hee-hee-hee-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Closer…

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Eee-hee-hee-hee-ha-ha-haaa!"

Whoa.

A pasty looking midget dressed in medieval attire steps forward on the balcony, and is less than a foot taller than the railing. Two tall, frightening looking guards in red and black robes scrutinize you and Leon with bright red eyes. You can't see their faces. But you _can _see Salazar's… and he's definitely prettier in the game.

Salazar grins and fixes his beady yellow eyes on Leon. "I was starting to wonder when you might notice us."

_You _are starting to wonder how Leon can keep a straight face while talking to a strangely pale Spanish midget with a squeaky voice and a big blue hat. But you don't ask. Leon looks up with narrowed eyes. "Who are you?"

Salazar gestures elaborately as he speaks. "Me llamo Ramon Salazar, the eighth Castellan of this magnificent architecture. I have been honored with the prodigious power from the great Lord Saddler. I've been expecting you, my brethrens." Ugh.

Leon laughs coldly. "No thanks, bro."

The midget shakes his head. "My my, we've got a feisty one. If you care for your own well-being, I suggest you surrender yourself and simply… become our hostage. Or, Mr. Scott, you can give us the girl, since you're not worth a penny, I'm afraid. You can die." He turns and leaves, and the Verdugo bodyguards silently follow.

You look at Leon with a smirk. "Dunno why he said 'penny.' Don't they use Pesetas around here?"

Leon responds in kind. "Yeah, he's a weird little guy. But hey, welcome to Spain." You grin.

The wall drops in front of you, blocking your passage further into the castle with an empty shadow of the Chimera. One of many long side quests has begun.

Leon continues to the right, and kicks open the door. You love it when he does that. The prison is to your left. Leon gazes at it through the windows. "…Hey… someone's in there." He takes out the semi-auto rifle and zooms in on the Garrador. "He's covered in chains. I'm guessing he's not the friendly type."

"Nope, probably isn't. Maybe we should just stay away…"_And avoid the whole fight. That would be pretty cool._

Leon's eyes narrow. "No, wait… There's a switch behind him. Wonder what that's for?"

_Oh, crap. We need to flick that for something…! _"You're going to go down there, aren't you? Please be careful. I think I see _big claws _attached to his hands… Oh, look, _bells_! On either side of the room! I think those might come in handy!"

Leon lowers the rifle, and looks at you. "Y'know, you're not very subtle with your clues. But you've got _great _eyesight." You smirk, and he puts the rifle away.

You help Leon break pots and collect Pesetas and Ammo in this room and the next, and point out the glimmering Prison Key hidden in a painting of a former Castellan.

"Whoa!" You and Leon nearly run into the roaring flames that spew from horse statues' mouths. He raises an arm protectively in front of you. "These Illuminados just can't be bothered to put up a 'Keep Out' sign, they need to _kill _you for going the wrong way!"

You nod. "Yeah, it's a weird little religion. But hey, welcome to Spain."

He laughs. "You're real quick." Leon stares at the pouring flames. "That switch behind the crazy blind guy probably turns these off… S---. I hate being set up." You turn back and approach the heavy metal prison door.

Leon glances at you. "Wait here, and if you get a chance…" he nods at your weighed-down belt loops, "give me some backup."

You swallow. "Be careful. Watch out for the claws. And don't forget the bells."

He nods. "I won't." The door shuts behind him with a dull click, and you watch anxiously as he slowly descends the staircase and approaches the cell. Your palms sweat. You are _so _going to jump when-

BAM-

-Leon kicks open the door. Okay, that startled you, but now Leon's walking up to the Garrador, and you _know _you're going to jump in about three seconds when-

"_Yaaaaaah!_" CRASH! You stumble back with alarm when the Garrador shrieks and breaks through its chains. The humanoid monster extends its steel claws and charges toward Leon, who throws himself to one side, and the Garrador collides with a wooden pillar. Leon's concentrated on the Garrador, you notice - he seems to have forgotten the brass bells on the sides.

"Leon!" you shout. "Shoot the-"

"_Yeeeaargh!_" The Garrador stampedes in your direction and claws at the wall below you, causing sparks to fly and creating a high-pitched scraping noise. It twists its head up towards you, and you can see dried blood caked on its crudely sewn eyes. It falls silent and retracts the blades, walking cautiously around. Unseeing eyes swivel underneath the bloody eyelids.

You swallow, now more grateful than scared that the Garrador is more attracted to you. "Shoot the Plaga on its back!" The Garrador rams into the wall below you again with a cry. Leon sees the Plaga partially sticking out of the monster's back. He shoots, and the Garrador shrieks and goes mad, tearing through the air as it rushes towards Leon. A piece of flesh from his shoulder is torn off as a blade grazes it, and Leon cries out. The Garrador turns and raises one powerful arm with extended claws, but it is not quick enough for you. You throw an Incendiary Grenade behind the beast and watch as it is thrust forward, then writhes in the consuming fire. The Plaga on its back stretches outward, small tentacles whipping the burning air.

Leon staggers to his feet and raises the shotgun, blood pouring from the hole in the top of his right shoulder. Three consecutive blasts bring the Garrador to its knees. Blood sprays out of its back as the Plaga twitches madly and falls limp against its charred skin. The Garrador groans and gurgles, then falls completely. Blood pools around it and areas of blackened skin curl like ash on its body. Gleaming sweat that covers its muscular body begins to steam. You gag at the stench when it wafts up to you. Burning flesh… you doubt you'll ever get used to it.

You stick your head through the window, but can't see Leon. "Leon? I've got a First-Aid Spray. Where are you?"

The thick metal door is roughly pushed open, and he emerges, biting his bottom lip. "Use it. Hurry." He groans when you soak the bleeding gap of tissue in medicinal spray. It fizzes loudly, billowing into a white bubbling mound on Leon's shoulder. He grits his teeth and bends over slightly. You notice how filthy his blond hair is, flecked with blood, dirt and nameless brown fluids. Yours can't be much better.

"Leon?" Your voice is soft. "Are you okay?" The fizzing quiets down. Leon straightens up and looks at his shoulder, which is rosy pink with newly-repaired skin.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He reloads the shotgun with a tired sigh. "Guess I'll go flick that switch."

An unexpected response bursts from you. "I'll do it."

Leon looks at you. "If that thing is still alive-"

"It's _not_, you're tired, take three seconds to chill while I run down and pull the lever." You yank the heavy door open, but stop. "We're together in this, Leon. You run around and blow heads off, and save my life who knows _how _many times, the very least I could _ever _do for you here is solve puzzles every now and then. So wait here."

You dash down the stairs, and take a furtive glance at the muscular corpse in the corner. Still steaming, still gross. The shining Plaga on its back reminds you of the one in your abdomen. You erase this unpleasant thought and jog into the cell, tripping on an upturned stone.

The lever is reluctant to be pulled, but eventually it slowly succumbs to your will and is thrust downward. There is a loud click and you notice that a very faint roar has stopped. You take the stairs two at a time to reunite with Leon.

"Ta-da!" You grin. "Still alive." He smirks. You follow him past the extinguished statues and further into the castle.

* * *

You had a bad feeling about the large, red door before Leon even opened it. Now hordes of expectant Illuminados stare at you and call out, raising their weapons. You are in the Water Room, surrounded by zealots and obstructed by a puzzle that you must solve while simultaneously fighting for your lives. Looking ahead at the two staircases on the sides and the hallways below them remind you of the solution. 

"Leon, let's go down there!" You point straight ahead at the corridors one floor below. You don't care if Leon thinks you're a weird psychic, if giving him hints keeps you two alive, you'll tell him about them.

He grabs your hand and fires at charging Illuminados as you sprint to the back of the room. They fall back, bleeding and stunned, but not dead. Nevertheless, you press on. Leon sees the door that leads to a tiny room in the middle of the corridor and kicks it open, firing over your head at two approaching zealots. The room is empty when you run in. A Green Herb and a pack of Shotgun Shells lay on furniture in the back, and two large, yellow platforms are raised up from the blue carpet in the back corners. You run up to one and step on it. It partially sinks under your weight. You stand fully on it, and it lowers until it is level with the floor. Leon blasts through the heads of two Illuminados that have come through the doorway, and glances back at you, then the other platform. He rushes to it, and it lowers, followed by a series of grinding and clicking noises. You step off, and the platform stays lowered. Leon jogs to your side and fires at approaching zealots. A head splits open, and a matured Plaga shrieks. Its salivating jaws open wide enough to swallow Leon's head, but it is blasted away by three shotgun shells. You dash to the back of the room and grab the nearly overlooked items, and quickly join Leon again before you leave the room.

Back in the main area, you see that a tiny crank has been raised from the middle of the floor. "I'll take care of that!" You sprint towards it. An Illuminado lunges at you and latches onto your arm. You gasp and struggle in its grip, then kick it as hard as you can right between its legs.

You're free to go.

You grab the crank and turn it with as much force as you can muster. It slowly gathers momentum, and as you turn it a loud rumbling slightly shakes the room. Above the corridors and room you had just run from is a large wall, flanked by balconies that reveal another side to the Water Room. The large wall shudders and the top tilts downward on a hinge at the bottom, revealing the other side to be a wide staircase. Eventually the weight of the marble staircase is too much for the hinges you are turning, and the wall falls harshly with a groan, cracking the cold marble underneath of it, as well as crushing one unfortunate zealot. Four Illuminados are waiting at the top of the stairs with large scythes.

"Follow me!" Leon motions towards the stairs, and you run with him. You toss a Grenade to the top of the stairs, and the four zealots scatter away from it, but too late. Leon stops in front of you to protect you from the sudden blast. "Next time," he shouts above the din, "tell me when you're going to do that!"

You realize how stupid that was. "Sorry!" Now you can't stop thinking about how you almost killed Leon, who was running toward the zealots as you threw the Grenade. _Stupid, stupid…!_

Leon takes out a few more Illuminados that followed you up the stairs before all is quiet. You recognize this area - the only way out is at the bottom of the pool ahead of you, so you have to turn another two cranks to raise the segments of the pathway. Leon will protect you from approaching Illuminados.

Might as well get this over with. "Look, there's a crank over there!"

Leon nods. "Can you get up there and turn it?"

"Not by myself, it's too high up." You notice a few gashes on his chest. "Don't you… want a Green Herb or something?"

Leon nods, pulling out the suitcase. "I was just about to get to that."

You fold your arms. "It's not fair that you're always getting beat up."

He sighs. "It was in the job description - 'Bloodthirsty Satanic Monks will try to bite your head off." He grinds a few leaves between his fingers.

"Like I said - it's not fair."

Leon shrugs as he sprinkles the herb on his bleeding chest. "Ow… Well…" he glances back at the elevated crank, "guess you'll have to climb on my back." He puts the suitcase away and walks over, reloading his handgun. He crouches in front of the crank. "Up you go."

You hate doing this to Leon, even if he says you weigh "nothing". You place your hands on his shoulders and your feet on his back, then stand and slide your feet up to his shoulders, moving your hands to the wall in front of you for stability. Leon grunts as he stands up.

Uh oh.

You're shorter than Ashley.

Ashley herself could barely look over the top of the wall, and used up enough upper-body strength climbing onto it. You are staring at the top of the decorative arch, which is half a foot below the rim of the wall. Your palms just make it to the edge of the walkway above. You can't do this.

"I'm too short! I can't make it up there!"

"Well, you have to!" Leon's gritting his teeth. "So try harder!" He stands on his tip-toes, and so do you, which really makes him groan. You manage to get your forearms onto the walkway and lift yourself up. Ow. Your feet walk against the wall, and with a great huff you roll onto the platform. You stick your head over and look at Leon, who's rolling his neck and arms. He looks up at you.

"Sorry." You smile sheepishly. "Told you I'm heavy."

He waves a careless hand. "You're _not _heavy, so quit telling me about it. I'll watch out for you while you get us out of here."

You stand and approach the crank, and hear chanting as soon as you start turning it.

Shots explode from below you and Illuminados curse in response. You hear them coming closer. One even starts talking to you, laughing as his fingers just tap against your arms, until Leon shoots him in the side and he falls over the wall. You look at the bleeding zealot for a second as it awkwardly stands up, but see Leon rotating his arm at you, and you smile and resume turning the crank. Another loud rumbling is heard, and you glance back to see one half of the pathway has been raised. The second crank is on the other side of the room.

An Illuminado grins at you from the bridge that you have to cross. You point at him and draw your index finger across your neck. He looks confused. You pull out a Grenade, realize that would be wasteful, and decide to sic Leon on him instead. But Leon's fighting off his own group of attackers, and has no idea of your predicament. Crap. Well, you _do_ know karate…

You turn the sharp corner and charge at the weaponless Illuminado, whose red eyes fill with delighted surprise at your quick approach. Apparently he doesn't see you as much of a threat. You'll have to prove him wrong.

He opens his maw wide in a loud hiss and curls his arms outward just before he lunges, and at the same time you kick him where even Leon would not be able to withstand a hit. Predictably, the Illuminado doubles over, and you roundhouse kick him solidly in the temple. He falls over, sprawling on the walkway. His red eyes are glazed over. Did you kill him? He twitches, and tries to get up. Didn't think so.

Remembering that this zealot is human, you almost feel guilty about inflicting such pain. Then he stares at you hungrily with watery eyes as he staggers to his feet, looking very dazed. You punch him in his cold, breakable jaw. Three times.

He yells and swears at you through broken teeth, projecting bloody spit as he hisses again. You push him off of the bridge and keep going. A sickening crack tells you he landed the wrong way, and probably won't get up.

You dash to the other crank, glaring at Illuminados that already begin stalking towards you gleefully. You just do your job, trying not to think about them, and Leon does his. They never touch you. Soon, the second half of the path is raised, and only a few persistent zealots remain to attack Leon. You jump down, hurting your ankles, and limp slightly to Leon's side as he kicks an Illuminado's head off. A bone fragment bounces off of your upper arm.

Leon reloads his weapons silently, and steps around the bodies to check on you. "You okay?"

You nod. "Just landed the wrong way when I jumped, is all. My feet hurt. You?"

"I came out okay this time." Leon smiles. "You did a good job. Let's keep moving."

You leap across the scattered platforms and proceed to the Observation Hall.


	12. Chapter 11: Decisons

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait. I hope that you don't mind Nicole's decision regarding the obvious trap just ahead, but if you happen to disagree, I'm going to post a bonus chapter after the story's finished that details what would happen if she chose otherwise. Either way, there'll be fun consequences.

* * *

You point out various glittering treasures to Leon in the Observation Hall, such as the Spinels embedded in the eyes of suspended statues. Leon scoffs.

"The Salazars have the _weirdest _taste…"

You shake your head. "Upside-down statues… that's not unusual, or possibly sadistic, at all."

As Leon negotiates with the merchant, you ponder your fate. Just up ahead is the first trap set for Ashley. Well, in this case, you. You know it's coming. You have the option of getting caught and waiting there for hours before Leon comes to rescue you. If you avoid the trap, what happens…? You recall the sewers, definitely, with the Novistadors… stinky and scary. There's the gatling-gun guy… very dangerous, especially since you're not one for dodge-rolling. The hedge-maze… waiting in that trap sounds pretty good right now.

But if you get caught, not only will you have nothing to do but stand there for a while, afterwards you'll have to face Illuminados and possessed suits of armor in the dark, on your own, in a freaky dungeon. There's no guarantee that you'll even _live _through that, much less solve that stupid puzzle.

That's besides the point. Are you going to go through a long, terrible nightmare to avoid a short, terrible nightmare? No, that sounds way more dangerous than slash-happy walking metal suits. Lamp-throwing and switch-flicking it is. And running for your life. Alone.

Kicking and puzzle-solving it is. And lots of praying. You'll have plenty of time for begging for your life when you're caught.

Leon closes the pouch of Pesetas and walks down the hall. You follow him, and you have to admit, your heart is racing.

Suddenly, your throat dries up again, and your diaphragm goes crazy. You cough, doubling over as you walk, and aren't surprised when blood splashes onto your palm. You still hate that.

Leon puts a hand on your shoulder. "Nicole, are you okay-"

You rapidly try to think of something original to say. "I told you not to worry about me!" You push him away and run a few steps. _Leon_…

"Nicole, _wait_!"

Spikes shoot up _right _behind you. You actually mean it when you scream.

You keep running. Spikes keep sprouting where your foot just was. Soon, you run right into the back wall. You are conveniently placed right between sets of holes in the wall, sputtering coughs and trying to catch your breath. Well, here goes nothing…

Three cold metal rings curl around you and draw back, locking you in place. You feel the wall shift before it actually moves. Your eyes meet Leon's. He is clearly frightened for your life. You feel terrible for putting him through this.

You shout over the rumbling of the turning wall. "Leon, I'll be okay! Watch out for-"

BAM.

Figures.

You want to cry when you hear him call, "Don't worry Nicole, I'm coming for ya!"

"Leeeooon! _Leon!_" Can he hear you?

Probably not, since the resetting of the trap is pretty loud. And there goes the transmitter, and Salazar's high-pitched laugh. So annoying.

"_Leon!_ Can't you hear me!?" You sigh. Stupid game…

"Nicole!?"

Whoa.

"Nicole, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay! Just stuck to the wall here… Listen, you gotta go on a long detour before you can get to me. Like, seriously, a _long _detour! It's gonna take you _forever_! Watch out for the Novistador bug-things in the sewers, they puke acid! Salazar's in here muttering about them."

"Nicole."

"Yeah?"

"I'll get you out of there as soon as I can."

"I know. Nothing's going to happen to me, though. _You _be careful."

"I will. I'll see you soon." You hear muffled footsteps fade away, and the thud of a door closing. Well, now the wait begins…

* * *

You never knew you could fall asleep standing up. It's actually not that bad, except your back hurts when you move around. Time passes very slowly when you're locked up in a trap with no one to talk to. But hey, being alone is better than being with an Illuminado or two.

A song gets stuck in your head. You sing it. You enjoy the echo.

You talk to God, pondering the actual threat to the world that the existence of this game experience creates. And pleading for safety. And Leon's safety, come to think of it. Because without him you kinda can't live through this game.

You also take quite a few naps. There's nothing else to do around here…

Boring.

* * *

"THANK YOU PUEBLO, YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE, GOOD-NIGHT!!!"

You've just finished a song, you see. Quite fun. About coconuts.

A door opens and closes above you, and rapid footsteps click on marble tile. Moments later, the door is opened again.

"Leon! I got it!" Luis' voice is hard to hear.

Oh no.

You hear him cry out, and his screams echo through the giant room louder than your singing ever did. Fluids and _lots _of blood splatter on the floor in front of you. You look up, but the pathway above you prevents you from seeing anything but the tip of Saddler's long tendril. And Luis' leg.

A loud thud tells you that Luis has been thrown to the ground, and is writhing on the floor. You can barely hear Saddler's smooth voice.

"Now that I have the sample, you serve me no purpose."

"_Saddler!_" Leon is enraged, and you hear that pretty well.

"My boy Salazar will make sure you follow the same fate." The door closes. Leon rushes to Luis' side. Now you need to really concentrate to hear.

"Stay with me, Luis!" You wish you could be with Leon, consoling Luis in his last moments. If only you hadn't been so selfish, and had chosen to suffer with Leon! Then you wouldn't be silently observing Luis' death in your safe little cage while Leon helplessly comforts his dying comrade.

"I… am a researcher… working for Saddler. He found out what I was up to." Luis tries to laugh, but is stopped by pain.

"Don't talk."

"Here… it should suppress growth of the parasite." Luis' voice is very hard to hear now. "The Sample… Saddler took it. You _have _to get it back!"

Silence.

"_Luis! _LUIS!" You want to cry. Another long moment passes before you barely hear Leon say, "They'll pay for your death, Luis. I promise."

Cue struggling and calling for help.

But you can't.

The blood on the floor in front of you is too distracting.

_Luis… I'm so sorry. God… I should have been there. Please forgive me…_

* * *

BAM.

_Chink!_

BAM.

_Chink!_

BAM.

_Chink!_

You step away from the wall, free, and wave at Leon. "Thanks!"

"I almost didn't see you," he replies, reloading his rifle. "You didn't say a word to let me know you were there!"

"Sorry," you call. "Hey - there's a door over there. I'll go see if I can get out and meet with you later!"

"Whoa, wait!" You stop. "You stay there. _I'll _come down and meet _you_."

"Um, Leon..?" You hold up a few Grenades.

"Yeah, that'll keep you alive for about ten minutes. I'm coming down to get you."

"Really? How?"

He scoffs. "Like this." He jogs to the door you will later emerge from, and twists the doorknob. "What the…?"

"Yeah. Salazar bragged to me about that, and the many other intricate little death traps you'd have to go through to even get _here_. I know what's coming. It's _my _turn to run around and _your _turn to wait. Why don't you take a nap? Some sleep would be good for you."

Leon stares at you. "Are you serious? You expect me to wait around while you go through that door and face who-knows-what?"

You nod. "Yeah. I know what's coming, and these will take care of me just fine. See you later, Leon." He mutters something, you think you hear 'Ada'. Whatever. You run up to the door and pull. Oh no, it's locked. Oh no, here come Illuminados.

"Oh, _snap_! Leooon!" You jog back to where he can see you and let the zealots make their way to you. Leon picks them off easily. A few get pretty close, but you know where to kick them. Eventually a shiny metal object catches your eye.

"I got the key! Wait there, I'll see you soon!"

Something clatters onto the floor next to you.

It's the handgun.

You look up. Was that an accident, or…?

Leon's gaze is sharp. "I'm not letting you go without knowing you'll be safe. The safety's off, just don't pull the trigger when it's pointed at you and you'll live. You've got twenty-five rounds."

Wow.

"…Thanks, Leon…" It's not going to be _that _bad in there, but hey, free marksmanship lessons!

You open the door.

Oh, gosh.


	13. Chapter 12: Las Armaduras

**Author's Note:** This is one of my favorite chapters, I hope you enjoy it, too:)

* * *

It is dimly lit and _very _quiet in the room that you enter. The handgun is still warm from Leon's hands… You give the handle a loving squeeze, now no longer afraid of the two waiting Illuminados. You take time to curiously inspect the statue in front of you, as well as other decorations in the room. You grab a pack of Handgun Ammo and a Green Herb from among your immediate surroundings before moving forward. The typewriter catches your attention. You approach it, and press a key, N. The inobservant monk continues to stare at the fireplace to his right. You punch I, C, O, L, E… "NICOLE WUZ HERE". Beautiful. You have made your unique mark in Resident Evil 4. The zealot is none the wiser.

You aim the handgun, pleased and relieved to see the red dot appear on the back of the Illuminados' head. You bite your bottom lip, palms sweating, and pull the trigger.

The loudest and shortest explosion of your life startles you so much that you fall back into the railings that guard the feminine statue. The back of the unfortunate monk's head explodes, blood spraying everywhere. The zealot cries out and clutches its broken, bleeding skull, yet amazingly still limps toward you. It emits a long, low hiss, blood dripping from between its teeth and out of its thin nostrils.

Horrified and yet exhilarated, you aim at various parts of the staggering monk and shoot. Soon, both of its arms are useless, and blood streams from a crooked smiley face on its stomach. A loud, wet gurgle bubbles from its throat as it shuffles to within three feet of you, and it falls to its knees, head lolling. Blood weakly fountains from its mouth as its eyes roll to the back of its head and it crashes to the floor, landing awkwardly on its left arm. You want to throw up.

Instead, you compose yourself and think about how many bullets you have left. You used thirteen during your practice shots on the dead Illuminado, plus the head shot makes fourteen - nine shots left. You picked up a pack of ten bullets. Nineteen rounds to defend yourself with. You'll be fine.

You step around the body and enter the next room, checking out the décor and browsing the bookshelves before crawling under the table to turn the crank. A disturbing laugh surprises you, and you whirl to face the source, gun aimed. An Illuminado is ducking underneath of the nearly-raised gate and rushes to the other end of the long table to come after you. You roll to the other side of the table and position the red dot on the monk's legs. Another loud blast and it falls, moaning. You shoot its open mouth, and the side of its head bursts open. The monk's red eyes glaze over as it collapses against the blood-spattered bookcase. No more Illuminados, and you've still got seventeen shots. Cool.

You open the intersecting gates just enough for you to slip between them and into the significantly creepier cellar. It is cold and damp, and your outstretched hand slaps a cobweb as you search for the maneuverable bookcase in the darkness. Unlike Ashley, you are not magically equipped with a flashlight. This is going to be very, _very _difficult, you realize with a sudden fear.

Then an idea strikes you.

You return to the previous room and grab a brightly burning lamp, and continue on your way. Not too bad…

Your lower arms burn from the hot flame, so you set the lamp on a nearby table and use its flickering light to see where you should push the bookcase. The bold red button is momentarily revealed, and you push it. With a click, a gate close by opens. You grab the lamp and enter the next area, flicking the first switch you see.

One gate opens, another gate closes. You walk to an old fireplace where an item has caught your eye - the Stone Tablet, shimmering just underneath of a portrait of a woman. You pull it out with some effort, knowing with an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach that you'll need it later. After a few minutes of scampering back and forth between claustrophobic areas, the exit is clear.

Feeling proud, you grab the Pesetas and Red Herb before leaving the room. It would be impossible to see in the next hallway without some handheld means of illumination. Your shoulder catches on a thick, sticky cobweb as you pass through, and you hurriedly wave it away, then wipe your palm on the slimy stone walls to "clean" it. Uuuuuugh…

You can hear your breathing and footsteps. Only your breathing and footsteps. The darkness seems to swallow up every other sound, you can't hear _anything_ else. Your heart pounds and your palms sweat. You can't see anything except for what is directly around you.

A foot is illuminated right in front of you, and you jump back. The lamp flies out of your hands and shatters on the floor, sparking an explosion around you. Your angles are scorched as you leap forward to avoid the expanding flame. You back into the corner and slump against the chilled stones as the lifeless knight in front of you is fully exposed in the blazing light.

Then everything disappears in a thick, impenetrable darkness.

You can't see a _thing_.

The air in front of you is still warm from the small explosion, but that is all that is left of your only light source. Now you don't know what to do; should you try to find your way back and grab another lamp, expending precious time, or should you attempt to continue forward to the puzzle and small army of possessed knights and back in complete darkness, able to see nothing at all while they try to kill…

…Yeah. Find your way back.

The longest fifteen minutes of your life crawl by as slowly as you do as you inch your way, step by step, back through the dungeon. At the first dim flickering of light you sing Hallelujah in your thoughts, praising God for placing more than one lamp in the two long rooms. You dash to a corner and grab a lamp, but do not leave the area. A particularly intriguing portrait suspended on the wall above you has caught your attention.

It's Salazar. Ramon Salazar, several years younger, before Las Plagas corrupted his physical appearance. He is a teenager sitting quietly at a desk, quill in hand, staring at the viewer as he holds the quill over a piece of parchment. He looks like an intelligent and content young man. Warm brown eyes gaze back at you with a sense of gentle inquisitiveness, and his smooth, tan skin glows in golden firelight emanating from a candle on the elaborately decorated desk. His hair is still drawn back in a glossy blue ribbon, but it is clean and an attractive chocolate brown color, not the stringy grey mess it is today. His blue suit and hat are incredibly and intricately detailed in the painting, and everything appears to be new and at its prime.

Amazing. What a change poor Salazar has gone through.

Well, time to go! You rush back through the gated areas and scurry into the dungeon, now keeping a tight grip on your precious light source. Twisting through the corridors is creepy and unpleasant, but thankfully devoid of any more dangers. Soon you arrive at the musty, dark, and cold cellar where the slide puzzle waits. Several lifeless knights jealously guard the area, and you hate the constant chill-invoking feeling of being watched. Ignoring the items scattered about the room for now, you set the lamp on a corner of the pedestal and stare at the puzzle.

Several agonizing minutes later, you slide a piece upwards and glance at the image you created. It all blends together perfectly, to your relief and astonishment - the only piece left is the Stone Tablet that you tucked away a while ago. You drop it delicately into its rightful slot, completing the symbol.

You nearly jump out of your skin when a metal door slides open in the darkness behind you.

After returning your heartbeat to its normal rate, you grab the lamp and hold it out in front of you, eyes darting back and forth from the statue-esque knights to the open door ahead. You take what items you can hold, stuffing the various Herbs and some pouches of Pesetas in your pockets. Then you enter the next hidden room.

In this storage area the air stirs with dust after every movement that you make. Light, powdery dust settles on your tongue and in your nose with every breath, making you sneeze. This is obviously one place in the Castle that Salazar's maintenance crew forgot about. A large treasure chest sits expectantly upon a table, and you tentatively open it. A Gold Bangle glimmers back at you. You pluck it from the bottom of the deep wooden chest and slide it onto your wrist. It's a bit big, but it looks good. Maybe you can convince Leon to let you keep it. Leon. You have to keep moving; he's probably worried sick about you by now, handgun or no handgun.

You turn to face the stone bust of a knight that stares at you from its perch on the rotating wall. A circular treasure shines in its chest, which you reluctantly take. The Salazar Family Insignia, a circle of gold decorated with the symbol you recently created with the puzzle, is cold and heavy in your cradled palm. The knight and wall rotate to reveal a bold blue treasure chest, and your breath quickens. The metal door that allowed you to enter this room slams shut with a clatter, and you almost drop the lamp. You didn't expect that…

What else could happen that you won't expect? That you could be _killed _by?

How fast do formerly inanimate suits of armor move?

You try not to think about that. You need to remain calm to get out of this. If a girly twenty-year-old blonde can get through Resident Evil 4 without Grenades _or _a handgun, what's stopping you? You've even beaten the game.

Right. Just keep thinking that way. You take the heavy Serpent Ornament with whatever free fingers you have left between the handgun and lamp you're already holding, and instantly the metal door flies open and loud clattering heralds the approach of hunting suits of armor. The steady tempo of metal boots against stone floors increases in volume as you turn and stare a faceless knight right where its eyes should be. It silently raises it arms to swing a heavy axe at you, and you jump to the side, barely avoiding the deadly blow. Another knight follows suit. You duck out of the way, but the sudden motions cause the Serpent Ornament to slip from your fingers and fall at the feet of a suit of armor.

This didn't happen to Ashley.

You shout with frustration and shoot the helmet of a knight as you contemplate how you are going to retrieve the Ornament. The metal is dented and twists to the side, but the knights never stop moving. You run to the other side of a long table in the middle of the room, and the knights continue to follow you around it. Hands shaking, you set the lamp on the table. Then, just as you did with the Illuminados, you crawl underneath of the table, but only partway. You grab the Ornament with a free hand, wincing as the footsteps become louder, and slide out.

An axe strikes the floor two inches away. Another axe swings at your skull. You roll under the table and to the other side, fumbling with the handgun and Ornament that make such movements difficult. The sharpened axe crashes into the table, splintering it and sending the lamp flying.

You can't lose this lamp. You can't lose your only source of light in a place where animated suits of armor with unlimited stamina want to kill you. Without thinking, you tuck the Ornament under your right arm and snatch the lamp from the air with your left. The heat burns your hand in an instant, but you dash out of the room and listen intently to the muffled clattering footsteps before you do anything about it. Once you determine that you are momentarily out of danger, you drop the handgun and move the lamp to your right hand and hold it properly. Your left palm is badly burned, but you can't stop to take care of it. Already the knights are entering this room. You grab the handgun with you stinging, throbbing left hand and run.

Another suit of armor, poised and ready to cut you in half waits for you at the end of the corridor. You step just into range of its axe and jump back, feeling the stir in the air as the weapon embeds itself into the stone floor. The knight crumbles into dust, and you move on. Tears well up in your eyes from pain as you stumble through the halls, trying to remember where the next knight is. The footsteps are nearly gone.

Another suit of armor greets you unexpectedly, and its axe barely misses your left arm. You cry out, but restrain yourself from jumping back, unwilling to risk losing the lamp again. A cloud of dust billows in the stale air when the knight falls, blinding you and causing you to cough. You weakly wave the dust away, and freeze. The footsteps are louder and clearer. The hunting knights have entered the hall. You turn and run into the gated puzzle area, slamming the door behind you.

Breathing hard, you twist through the tiny sectors and under gates until you encounter the knight by the door. _This one wasn't here before!_ Caught completely by surprise, you crash into its metal plated chest, and its arms form a steel cage around you as they robotically swing the axe downward. You are bent backward with the forceful swing and step of the suit of armor, which hurts, and the Ornament slips from your grip again. You fall on it when the knight collapses into dust, and grab it quickly, scrambling to your feet. Three knights have caught up to you, and to your horror, they all stop several feet away from you and identically raise their weapons.

Almost instinctively, you throw the bright, burning lamp in your right hand at the trio of killers, and they stop moving the instant the flames explode around them. The heat illuminates their metal bodies to a bright cherry red, and the armor bubbles and sags, liquid-like, into twisted forms. One blazing, deformed knight takes a slow, forceful step towards you and you whirl around and throw open the door behind you. You hurl yourself into the cool, secure hallway, gun and Ornament clanging on the floor as you let them go, and desperately kick the door shut with as much power as you can muster. You lay sprawled on the floor, panting and sweating, as the roar of the fire dies down in the dungeon in front of you. You see a pool of hot liquid metal slide underneath of the door and become grey as it cools. The puddle stops a few inches short of reaching your right foot. You slump back against the stone wall and sigh, drinking in the calm, cool air.

Your left hand throbs again. You look at it. The palm is bright pink and hot, fading into orange as it draws toward the center. Tiny white bubbles of dead skin decorate the middle of your hurting palm. Not good. On top of that, the backs of your ankles have never been treated. Fortunately, those are even less severe than the burn on your hand. You pull out a few sad-looking Green Herbs from your pocket and crumple them on the burn wounds, then sprinkle two Red Herbs and one Yellow Herb over them, and wait for the stinging clouds of bubbles to subside.

As you wait, you turn your head and stare at the handgun and Serpent Ornament. The Grenades would have gotten you through this fine, but you can't help but feel extremely grateful and slightly… _honored_… that Leon _chose _to give you his handgun for the time you would be apart. He really does care for your safety.

And it figures that after all of this, you would retrieve the butt end of the Chimera sculpture. Stupid Serpent Ornament. At least it's vitally important for getting through the Castle - and _you_ got it.

But this was way harder than Ashley's part of the game! Why did all of that crap with the lamp have to happen? And seriously nearly getting killed by the knights - you were _armed_! Ashley wasn't! How unfair is that?

Whatever. You have to get back to Leon now. You roll over and grab the handgun and Ornament, and heave yourself to your feet with a tired sigh. You sluggishly walk to the decorated metal door at the other end of the hall, sticking out your tongue at the insignia that greets you. You shove the door open with one arm and ignore the little treasures that you can't carry because, unlike stupid Ashley, you are not given a magical, invisible suitcase of your own. You are starting to really become irritated with how easy that blondie had it during her share of the game. For crying out loud, she even looked the same throughout the entire two discs! You can just tell that you look like crap by now.

You grab the Butler's Memo that has been draped over a smooth, wooden desk and thrust it into your pocket among wilting, crumpled herbs. Then you approach the dais at the end of the room and rummage through your bulging pockets for the Salazar Family Insignia. If you lost it…

_There _it is. Ugh. You put it in the designated slot and turn the dais. At long last, the resistant dais stops with a click and the stone wall in front of you raises to reveal a very tall ladder. With difficulty, you arrange the handgun and Ornament in your hands in an awkward way so that you can climb the ladder without losing anything. This isn't fun with your tender left hand, but you grit your teeth and start climbing. Leon's been through worse and made it. You can too; you have to. For him. Eventually, you heave yourself over the top of the ladder and stand (regretfully ignoring the two chests of Pesetas in the alcove to your right). You glance down the ladder at the trial you have just survived, and whisper a genuine prayer of thanks to God. It was difficult -certainly not entirely like the game- but you lived through it. And now…

You jog through the twisted corridors, picking up speed and cursing them for their convoluted design as you come closer and closer to Leon with every step. You turn a third corner and sprint excitedly towards the wooden door at the end of the final hallway. Using the same key you used to enter the dungeon, you unlock this door, and with bated breath push it open.


	14. Chapter 13: Shooting Gallery

**Author's Note:** I know I described the Art Gallery totally wrong, but I'm a bit too lazy to fix it. Deal. --;;

* * *

A glimpse of blond hair is all that you need to see before you toss the handgun and Ornament to the floor and rush to Leon, a grin spreading rapidly on your blushing face. You squeal, "_Leon! _I made it!"

Your hero had turned in your direction upon hearing the creak of the door, and is now so relieved to see you that he also returns the smile. "Nicole!" You pull an Ashley and less-than-gracefully crash into Leon, imprisoning him in a fierce hug. He squeezes you back momentarily before gently pulling you away by the shoulders. "You got through our separation - and I see you brought me some presents, too." He nods at the Ornament and your bulging pockets.

You nod sheepishly. "Sorry if I took too long. You wouldn't believe what was down in that creepy dungeon!"

Leon's smile wanes. "After what I've been through with Raccoon and this, I may even start to believe that pigs will fly one day. But that's beside the point. You did great, Nicole, great. I'm proud of you. Let's relieve you of all that stuff and then we'll keep moving." He chuckles and brushes away a strand of hair that had been plastered to your cheek by sweat. "And once again, you're a mess." As Leon kneels and opens the suitcase, you can't help but feel that maybe all of that terror with the knights was worth it for this moment.

Then you turn, and see a lean body sprawled on the floor across the room.

Blood is pooled all around him.

Luis.

As Leon places your items in the suitcase and snaps it shut, you slowly walk over to where the researcher lies, your happiness lost in a daze of disbelief that only one hour ago this man was alive. You faintly hear soft footsteps behind you.

Just approaching his impaled form brings tears to your eyes, although you're not sure why. You've never had much of an attachment to poor Luis, he was nothing more than an acquaintance to you.

An acquaintance that laughed, joked, and spoke with you.

Flirted with you, as comical and strange as that was.

Fought to save you, though he barely knew you.

Poor Luis Sera… You kneel beside his body, wiping away a few tears that had fallen down your cheeks. The hole in his chest is terrifyingly large, you can't imagine the excruciating pain he must have endured in his final moments. Luis suffered, only to have that which he gave his life for taken again. And you weren't even beside him as he died. What a choice you made.

Leon's hand on your left shoulder startles you. "Nicole… you okay?"

You nod, unable to speak. If you try to talk now, you'll only manage a broken sob at best. Luis's fate is too terrible to think of.

"Luis… died a hero. A real hero. But his murder will be avenged, I promise. I'll kill Saddler before this is over, and reclaim the Sample that Luis fought to take back. He didn't die for nothing."

You shake your head in agreement, staring at the wound, then draw your eyes to his expressionless face. There is no calm there, no tranquility; only a blank expression of sleep marred by the slightest show of pain. You see that dark blood has pooled in his mouth and sits at the corners of his closed lips. As Luis had tried to warn Leon he was choking on his own blood, suffering from punctured organs, and immobilized by broken bones. And yet he still found the strength to speak.

What a hero.

Luis Sera.

You will never forget him.

* * *

A door snaps shut in the distance, and you look up. "Leon! You're okay!"

A loud rumbling interrupts your cheerful greeting as the former cop rides the suspended platform transport to your side of the room, Chimera piece in hand. "Yeah," he replies with a huff, "and it was h--- staying 'okay', too. But I got the last piece of that monster thing."

You grin. "Yeah, great job!" Leon wipes away sweat on his face with the back of his gloved hand. You watch, still grinning. "You're so awesome, Leon."

He looks at you, kind of amused. "…Thanks." He reloads the semi-automatic rifle, looking thoughtful. "Hey, do you think you could come up with a reason why Salazar has a lava room in his humble little home?"

"Spain has issues?"

"Good one!" He puts the rifle away with a chuckle and pulls out the handgun. You glance around. "Let's get going." You follow him to a lovely little rail car that lowers its doors automatically when you approach. No seat has ever looked more inviting than the clean, plump, crimson cushions that welcome you into the car. Leon holds out his arms. "After you." You smile, and walk onto the brown, velvety carpet, squealing at the soft padding under your feet. You both let out a grateful sigh when you lower your tired bodies onto the seats across from each other. After standing for about four hours, _this_ is _very_ nice. Leon obviously agrees; his eyes are closed and a small, relaxed smile caresses his face. All of that is suddenly obliterated when the car lurches forward and picks up alarming speed along the track.

You smile at his startled expression. "We're okay for now, Leon! Just relax. I'm gonna take a nap." Ashley never experienced _this_, the stupid bunch of zeros and ones!

Leon slumps back against the cushioned seat, setting the handgun in his lap and closing his eyes once more. The ride is very smooth and the cool moving air around you couldn't be more relaxing. You're already drifting off. "I don't know if I _can _fall asleep," he murmurs.

"I believe in you," you whisper through barely parted lips. "You can do it."

He laughs softly. "Nah, I'm gonna stay awake, and… monitor the car. Secure the perimeter and all that."

Now you're the one who laughs. "Silly Leon. You need your sleep, so get it now. This is probably like a twenty-minute ride, so get whatever shut-eye you can. I know we'll be okay."

"You've been right so far. Why argue?" Leon curls his fingers securely around the handgun and closes his eyes again. You glance at peaceful Leon before nodding off yourself.

Thirty minutes later, the rail car screeches and rumbles to a roller-coaster stop, thrusting you against the back of the seat and throwing Leon forward. He catches himself on the gilded golden railings beside him, but you aren't so lucky. The back of your head just manages to smack off of the railing behind you. You bet short little Salazar never had this problem.

Leon stands as the door next to him lowers. "You okay?"

You take his offered hand and stand dizzily. "Peachy." He ruffles your hair and meanders around to the arranged vases before unlocking and opening the metal door ahead.

Do I even have to say that you're grinning?

* * *

You figured that your lucky streak had to end eventually. After the first rail car ride, you got to complete the Chimera sculpture and lower the wall that had blocked further progress into the Castle. There was much treasure to be taken in the next room, followed by a second very relaxing rail car ride. Leon didn't say a word, just slept through the whole thing. You watched him for a few minutes before indulging in a catnap of your own. He's so adorable.

But anyway, this second track led the two of you right to the entrance of the strikingly beautiful Galleria del Arte de la Familia Salazar. From the moment you enter, you are greeted by a sweet fragrance that permeates the air of the gallery. You fall in love with the intimately narrow hallways and scattered, yet crowded together, portraits and paintings. The walls are colored a dark forest green, and the wood linings are a deep, cherry red, providing a great contrast. Everything is clean, polished, and absolutely stunning.

"Wow," Leon breathes. "A place that's nice, makes sense… and doesn't want to kill us for once."

"Yeah," you whisper. Hey, you're in a sort of museum! "This is so pretty." You ponder for a moment while your hero scopes out the rest of the area. "Hey, d'you think that there's a typewriter around here? Maybe the merchant, too. This is a pretty safe place."

"Yeah." Leon's voice resonates from around the corner, and you smile upon seeing him come into view. "There are a few rooms around here. Bad news, though - I ran into a puzzle we're going to have to solve. Or some kind of obstacle."

"Woo-hoo." You roll your eyes. The lucky streak is now officially gone.

Leon twirls the handgun absentmindedly. "We need to find two Grails - the King's and Queen's. And I'm guessing that the thick door behind me leads to one of them. The other is probably behind another thick door that's down the hall and through another room. But we'll go after those once we check out what's in this room here…" You follow him to an innocent-looking wooden door and watch as he pushes it open and enters, the end of the gun surveying the room. A deep, raspy cough greets you both, and Leon immediately lowers the gun.

"Wasn't expecting you," your hero comments, pushing the door the rest of the way open for you.

"What? I just said he'd probably be here!" You glare jokingly at Leon as you pass him in the room, and smile at the merchant. "I was right, too. Hi!"

"Welcome!" The merchant probably grins at his two favorite customers - you can't tell. And it figures he'd say that… "What are ya buyin', stranger?"

"Nothing at the moment," Leon replies, drawing out the suitcase and opening it. "But I've got a lot of stuff to sell."

"What are ya sellin'?" This may take a while. You wait patiently and stare at the strange, flickering blue flames.

After the shopping spree, the merchant laughs to himself and Leon notices the Shooting Gallery. "Hm. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try to break my old record."

You're mad. "What, you've been hitting these things without me?" He glances at you apologetically. "I don't like you anymore!"

"Guns aren't girls' things…" he throws out lamely.

You hold up the Grenades that decorate your belt loops and mention once more the two -count 'em, _two_- head shots you executed when you were on your own. He sighs.

"I'm sorry. But you weren't around, and it was a great stress reliever…"

"Oh, nice to know you had a grand old time while I slowly went insane singing to myself in that big, echo-y room!" You stick out your lower lip in a fake pout. Leon, judging by his expression, doesn't seem to know whether to think you mean it or not. "I'm kidding, Leon." He relaxes. "But I get to go first."

"Whatever." He steps aside to let you push open the heavy metal door, but the merchant beats you to it.

"Ladies first!" he exclaims, swinging the door open and holding it for you. You smile politely and enter the significantly less pretty office for the Shooting Gallery. "Be with yeh in a moment, lass." The merchant lets the door shut behind Leon and meets you at the desk. "What'll it be, stranger?"

You consider for a moment. "Rapid-Fire." The merchant hands you a well-worn suitcase labeled thus, and you pop it open to glance at its contents: A shotgun, TMP, and several packs of ammo for each.

The merchant stares at you with bright blue eyes. "Do yeh know the rules, lass?"

"Nope."

"They're easy enough. Shoot the Spaniards, avoid the… well, th' cardboard copies of you. And if th' painted background goes away and a lamp is revealed, shoot that too. Your points'll be added up in the computer, an' I'll tell you if yeh got a prize or not! Prizes are quality bottle caps, great for collecting and rare to boot. Y'can't get 'em anywhere else in the world. Just walk in there and ring the bell when you're ready to start, lass."

"Woot. I'm so going to suck at this." You grin and haul the suitcase into the next room. Leon gets the door for you, and follows you in. "Try not to laugh too hard, okay?"

Leon chuckles. "Sure. Don't worry about it, though, you'll do fine."

You roll your eyes. "Yeah, we'll see."

"Do you know how to properly hold a gun?"

You glance at him. "…With your hands?"

He chuckles. "Let me give you a quick lesson." Several minutes later, Leon declares that you are officially ready to blast away at cardboard backwoods Spaniards. You ring the bell.

_Ding!_

To be frank and make a long story short, you do suck. You can't count how many times you accidentally blew cardboard yous (so weird!) apart when you swore you were aiming at the overweight farmer next to them. And forget ever being able to hit the moving red lamps…

Leon takes his turn, and is freakin' amazing. He earns a bottle cap, one of…

Ada. You both stare at it awkwardly. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see color rushing to Leon's face. Aw. You poke the button on the side.

"Leon, _now!_" Her silky voice laced with desperation really brings the blood to Leon's cheeks.

"This is so weird…" You shake your head and crack open the double doors behind you. "Where'd you get them? These bottle caps are _scary!_"

"Tell me about it, I've got three of me." Leon continues to stare at plastic, curvaceous Ada.

The merchant barks an answer from behind the desk. "I told yeh, they're rare prizes! Can't get 'em anywhere else!"

"Anywhere else but _where?_" you press. "Who made them? Who knows this stuff about this place?"

"That's classified!" The merchant glares at you, but not with contempt - he doesn't want to talk about this anymore. The game's last line of defense for overly curious gamers, you assume. You pipe down.

"Did you get one of me?" you inquire. Leon pulls out a small plastic bottle cap from the suitcase with you perched on top in your pink shirt and Bermuda shorts. And those hideous black shoes… You are loaded with grenades and hold one in your hand, ready to throw it. He pushes the button.

"_Yes!_ Leon! That was _so cool! You broke its neck!_"

"…Whoa. Leon, that's really weird."

He stares at it, glancing back from Ada occasionally. "Yeah."

"Stupid shoes…" You wiggle your toes, and feel dry mud flaking off. "Yucko." You smirk at Leon. "I get to keep one of you, my choice, when we get out of here."

He shrugs. "Take them all. They're creepy."

Your smirk expands into a grin. "Even Ada?"

"I… meant the ones of me." His face is so red. You love him to death, really.

You nudge his arm. "You can have the one of me, if you want… creepy little thing." The shoes. Ugh.

He smirks. "Yeah, I _guess _I'll miss you." He nods at the neglected shotgun on the table. "You gonna try again?"

"Hecks yeah! We're not leaving until I'm moderately good! And hopefully I'll win a bottle cap of my own."

Your comrade sighs. "I'll go take a nap then."

You punch him. "Would ya shut up? Away with you." You grab the shotgun determinedly and ring the bell.


	15. Chapter 14: Art Gallery Exhibits

You throw open the metal door to the Shooting Gallery excitedly, startling a previously sleeping Leon. "Leon! Check it out! I won a bottle cap!"

The former cop runs his fingers through his hair as he yawns and sits up. "Scared me, Nicole. What'd you get?"

You plop down next to him on the couch, smiling apologetically. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you like that." Leon shakes his head, waving it off. You plunge a free hand into your right pocket. "I won Luis! Look!" You cradle the plastic likeness of the late Policia officer in your palms, stretching it out to Leon. He dons a grave expression, blue eyes darkening with regret as he takes the figure into his own hands and observes it.

"Looks a lot like him," he mutters.

"Yeah…" You frown and fold your hands in your lap, staring at your knees. "I wish I… could've been there. Could've said something to comfort him. It's not fair that he… died like that."

Leon shakes his head. "…No, if you would've been there there's no doubt Saddler would've taken you. You were better off waiting in that trap."

"_Listening _in that trap," you add, your tone laced with bitterness. "Standing there in my safe little cage watching Luis' blood splatter on the floor in front of me, listening to his cries of pain as he died directly above me. I should've been with you."

"You have no idea what I went through to get to you." Leon hands the bottle cap back to you. "I fought another blind man in a cage, nearly got my neck torn out by infected dogs in a twisted hedge maze, fought off invisible alien bugs in the sewers, and almost got blown apart by a gatling gun, among other things, _before _having to helplessly deal with Luis' murder." He takes a deep breath, looking at you. "And who knows what Luis ran into by himself. You were very lucky to fall into that trap, Nicole."

You are quiet, pondering his words as you turn the bottle cap in your hands. "He was a good guy."

"Yeah. A good fighter, too. I wouldn't have been able to keep you safe in the cabin without him."

You press the button. Two crackling gunshots, and then "Did you send out those invitations? I told you no more than _fifty people!_"

Leon chuckles. "That's just like him. He told that to me at the cabin, and at the time I was too stressed to appreciate the humor. But now… it's pretty funny."

"You want it?"

He shakes his head. "We can sort out bottle caps later. We'd better get moving. Salazar's probably waiting for us somewhere with another fun death trap." Leon stands up and stretches. "So, I'm guessing you improved your marksmanship?"

"Yup." You smile, tucking Luis away in the suitcase. "I can totally kill people now and help you out."

He smirks. "We'll see if you're good enough to handle the upgraded guns I've got."

You slug him in the arm. "You have _no _faith in me! Give me something to shoot with!"

The merchant clears his throat. "I'd be willin' to sell yeh a nice little handgun like the Broken Butterfly, the lass might like that for herself."

Leon waves a careless hand. "No thanks. I can't hold any more weapons, and we're all set anyway." The poor merchant looks disappointed. Leon doesn't notice, and turns to you. "If we run into a small group, I'll toss you the handgun for some practice. The safety will be off. Okay?"

You stick out your bottom lip. "I already used the handgun. What about the TMP? That's cool."

Your hero laughs. "In your dreams. That wasn't built for an inexperienced teenage girl to handle. I can see it now; you'd be thrown straight on your butt the moment you press the trigger." He walks to the door.

"How about the riot-gun?" You smile imploringly.

"You're very persistent. No." Leon opens the door. "If anything else comes to your mind other than grenades, the handgun, or a rock, don't even ask."

"You'll give in eventually, Leon."

He pushes you into the hall. "Don't get your hopes up, Nicole."

Leon makes a left and heads for the thick door that will lead you to one of the two needed grails. You wander into a chessboard-like room with two knight statues on pedestals placed almost randomly in the middle. Four red platforms can be seen in the corners, and they look like they can be weighed down.

You're surprised when Leon inspects the gate ahead. "Huh. Locked."

You arc an eyebrow. "…Aaand, you didn't think that this looked potentially puzzle-like _why?_"

Leon rolls his eyes at you. "I was coming to that conclusion."

"Maybe you need another nap."

"Maybe you should be the one to push these statues then, while I take one."

You lower your gaze. "Fine. Sorry."

You wait patiently while Leon moves the two statues onto two of the red platforms, and stands on a third. "You take that one." You jog obediently to the platform on Leon's right. A clicking noise sounds, and the gate opens. You follow him through.

Salazar is in the next room, standing by the door and scowling as you enter. With increasing terror you recognize the wide, tiled ceiling with four red lights. Leon raises his handgun and stands in front of you.

The midget appears to be very frustrated. His beady yellow eyes narrow, creasing the sickeningly pale skin around his eyes. "I think you've lived long enough. Let's see if you can survive this time!" Salazar waves his hand, and long metal spikes protrude from the ceiling, one on every tile. He cackles and walks out of the room, sealing you and Leon inside with a locked iron gate.

The ceiling begins to slip downward.

Leon curses and frantically glances around. You won't waste time. "Look at the ceiling, Leon!"

He notices the now-blinking red lights, and fires at them.

One down. The spikes are much closer.

Two. The floor begins to rumble.

Three. Angelic portraits hung identically on each wall are being consumed by the steadily lowering ceiling. Dust and wooden debris cloud the air.

Four. The ceiling lurches to a stop with a loud snap, and the iron gate rises into the doorway. You and Leon stand frozen in place for a moment, waiting for any other possible dangers. Then Leon reloads his handgun with an angered stare. "I'd say it's a classic death trap, but Salazar's getting old real fast. He tried to kill you this time. Next time we meet up with him, he's dead."

You nod and follow him into the narrow stone hallway ahead. He rounds a corner and jogs forward into a small storage room with barrels and empty shelves.

A gate closes before you can enter. Leon spins around, nearly running into the rusted metal. "_Nicole-_"

CRASH. A whirring, metal machine piloted by two Illuminados decimates the stone wall far behind you. The tank-like contraption crawls forward as more spikes, attached to metal planks that sprout from a drill at the front, cut through the air and claw at the walls.

It is heading directly for you.

You can't tear your eyes from the hissing Illuminados or the spinning death trap, but call out to Leon. "I'd recommend your rifle for this one!" Your voice is a bit higher than you'd like it to be.

But staring death in the face will do that to you.

The rifle explodes directly behind you, and a zealot's head follows suit. The other monk doesn't even notice. In fact, it grins sadistically, lowering its eyes to you. Leon blasts the smile off of its face. The gate opens, and before you can even move Leon grabs your arm and pulls you far into the room.

Slipping an arm around you, Leon rushes you to a corner of the room as the rumbling and grinding of the machine increases in volume. It soon collides with the door to the storage room and stops, hissing and groaning. Several stone bricks break apart and fly through the air, and Leon positions himself in front of you protectively until the machine completely dies down.

"Th-thanks, Leon…" You had kinda remembered this was coming, but actually experiencing it… was way more frightening than you thought it would be. You help him collect loot in the storage room, Leon furiously muttering to himself the entire time about different ways he plans to kill evil little Salazar.

The Queen's Grail rests expectantly in a crimson chest. Leon hands it to you to carry, shaking his head. "All of this for a d----- cup. Whatever's past this art gallery better be worth these deliberate attempts to kill you. Salazar by himself in a little room would be nice; I'd make him regret what just happened here." He shoots the lock on the exit with a little too much force. You follow him back to the gallery.

* * *

After selling off a few treasures to the merchant, Leon checks the ammo supply and leads you to the right and through a room with a long table, where you stop him. "There's something about Luis!" 

Leon picks up a piece of paper and skims it. "It's just… a memo about his death, the Sample, and how much Saddler wants to kill me. Better file it away anyway." He sticks it in the suitcase.

A picture of Luis is on the table next to the former location of the memo. "Hey… can I have this?"

Leon looks at it, and nods. You put it with the memo and thank him, then follow Leon through another thick door to another challenge.

A beautifully carved lion statue greets you from down the hall, staring with almost gentle eyes as it lays on its pedestal. Leon guides you around the corner and down another hallway, where two rows of armed knights line the decorated walls. You draw back. "Wait, Leon-"

"Argh!" He backflips just in time to avoid being split in half by a waiting suit of armor. As it deteriorates, you approach Leon.

"You okay? I think there's another one ahead. …By the way, that was totally awesome."

Leon blinks. "What, the backflip, or me almost getting killed?"

"The backflip, most definitely."

He smiles. "Thanks. Where's that other knight?" You point to a suit of armor that is frozen with its axe suspended above its helmet, waiting for one of you to take just one step too far. But it isn't exactly stone-still - if you look long enough, you can see the metal arms twitch. Leon raises the handgun. "Heh. Not this time." A loud ding echoes through the hall as a bullet glances off of the knight's metal chest. The suit of armor twitches again. Leon curses. "Well, might as well get it over with, then." He steps just into range of the sharpened axe, then jumps back when the weapon falls. The knight crumbles, and Leon waves at you. "Let's go."

You feel so bad for Leon! He's had a really tough time recently. You wish there was something you could do to help…

But now's not a good time. Leon sees the circular, enclosed room with the King's Grail perched suspiciously on a stand in the middle. "Wait here; I'll check it out." He cautiously walks into the room, gun raised, and approaches the grail. " 'May wrath of evil befall the one who disturbs this holy grail,' " he reads, and shakes his head. "What is _wrong _with the Salazars? Stay there, Nicole." Leon picks up the grail, and immediately several identical niches in the wall rotate to reveal weapon-bearing suits of armor. An iron gate in front of you slams shut, startling you. The battle ensues.

Two shotgun blasts to each knight takes them down, and before long Leon has cleared the room of attackers.

For about two seconds.

Another wave of suits of armor arrives via the rotating walls, and assault a frustrated Leon, who repeats the strategy of shooting twice at the head. Within minutes, the room is empty. Leon reloads the shotgun as the gate opens, which startles you again. You rush to check on him.

"I didn't get hit, don't worry." He smiles at you reassuringly.

"That one Plaga almost bit your head off! Did you see that?"

Leon sighs. "Yeah, and then I shot it. And now I'm filthy again. Such is… life." He wipes away gooey fluids and exoskeleton particles that splashed onto his shirt. "Well, let's go solve that puzzle thing with the grails." You follow Leon out of the room and around several corners before entering a long, open room with gargantuan windows on the right side, and feminine statues on the left. The windows have been opened to their full extent, allowing a continuous, refreshing breeze to lift the heavy, crimson curtains that billow in the air. Bright, white moonlight illuminates the row of shielded Illuminados ahead perfectly.

"Oh, great." Leon pulls out the riot-gun, but stops to think. The zealots whisper to themselves as they trudge forward. You look at Leon, confused.

"Uuuum… what are you doing?" _Or _not_ doing? Shoot, Leon!_

"Giving you the handgun like I said I would. I'll take out their shields, then you do the rest." Your hero blasts away at the thick wooden shields of the approaching Illuminados, blowing off part of one unfortunate monk's shoulder in the process. You check the ammo of the handgun nervously.

In about three seconds it'll be all up to you to keep yourself and Leon alive.

You raise the weapon and see the red light appear on the legs of one Illuminado. You shoot, it falls, you pump more lead into it. The zealot moans loudly, but does not get up.

The other Illuminados are much closer. You don't want to take any chances, and throw an Incendiary Grenade. Flaming zealots cry out and, instead of dying, charge at you and Leon. He fires at two with his riot-gun, and you kill another monk that had tried to ensnare you with burning arms. A pile of smoldering bodies bubble and hiss on the floor. The stench is unbelievable.

You cup one hand over your nose and delicately return the handgun to Leon with the other. He puts that in the suitcase and gives you a thumbs-up. "You did good for never using that in combat before."

"Thanks!" You pound his outstretched fist. "You were cool, as usual." Leon laughs once at your friendly gesture, then leads you to the waiting King and Queen.

The large statues' hands are cupped expectantly, one on each side of the locked gate. " 'A toast to our Royal Majesty,' " Leon reads. "Pheh. Give me a break." He places the Queen's Grail in her hands, and you give the King his own special cup. The gate opens, allowing access to the door behind it. You follow Leon through.


	16. Chapter 15: Lost and Found

**Author's Note:** I would like to remind my beloved readers that this chapter contains spiritual references, mainly about Nicole's Christian faith, and that **I am not preaching to anyone** by including them. I am only relaying to you how Nicole would react in such situations, because she is a strong Christian. So intolerant flames will be ignored. Thank you.

**(Edit)** Thanks to **Pikpixie03** for informing me about Leon's actual eye color. Why did I ever think they were brown...? Anyway, I edited the story accordingly.

* * *

Some treasure-gathering and walking later, Leon kicks open a large wooden door, and freezes. "Ugh! What _is_ that?" 

Oh, crap. "Um… A big, gooey, hive-thing, I guess." You and Leon are staring at what you almost perfectly described - a giant, brown sac that is suspended from the ceiling. Brownish fluids drip from the sac in large globs, and in the momentary silence that follows a low, loud humming can be heard. The sac pulses and jerks around in various locations, as though being jostled by something inside.

This is very familiar to you. But what happens?

Oh! "Leon, what's that humming sound?" Now that you remember, you hope to clue him in.

He shakes his head. "I have no idea, but it sounds… insect-like. Whatever's in that thing, it can't be good. Stay here."

Leon steps further into the room, but you can't allow that - you'll be kidnapped! "Wait!" He turns to you. "Can… can I have a gun? Just in case?"

Leon considers for a moment, glancing back at the hive. "…Sure. Take the handgun, but wait here. I'll check it out. You know what to do if you need me."

You don't know whether to follow him or not, and hesitate to move. Switching the gun from hand to hand nervously, you watch Leon cautiously walk forward into the room and approach the bridge, keeping the riot-gun raised.

Something emerges from underneath of the stone platform in front of you. A Novistador claws its way to you and stands, mandibles clicking. You gasp and shoot at it, backing into the hallway. Leon whirls around at the crack of gunshots. The giant insect screeches when three bullets embed themselves into its exoskeleton, but it continues to stalk you, greenish blood squirting from each wound. Its shining wings thrum and twitch with energy as the bug approaches. Why isn't Leon helping you!?

Because masses of Novistadors have appeared.

Scaling the walls, crawling from the depths of the frighteningly deep pit below, countless giant insects emerge from the darkness, humming and clicking their mandibles, shimmering into view. Noticing Leon, their large, round eyes glow red. Noticing you, several others twitch and hum excitedly.

You continuously fire at the stalking Novistador until it falls. You have backed into the hallway, and stand by the broken windows to your right, waiting for any more insects to come too close. Perhaps you can avoid being taken after all.

Leon shoots frantically at the horde of Novistadors that relentlessly assault him. You wish you could help, and do so by chucking a grenade at closer insects. The explosion sends many bugs flying and startles others. Loud, incessant screeching erupts among Novistadors that cling to the stone walls of the tower. The shrieking throbs against your eardrums, and you cover your left ear with a free hand. Apparently Novistadors don't like fire or bright lights…

Poor Leon is in the midst of the mass of abnormal insects, and clearly suffers from their piercing cry. Yet he continues to fight and deplete their numbers, for your sake. You step forward and fire at several Novistadors in an attempt to better assist him, and reenter the room when the insects slink away. The shrieking steadily fades to angry clicking and humming.

As you move towards a dying Novistador, continuously shooting at pulsing ligaments and tendons between armor-covered limbs, a pair of rough, rock-hard claws attach to your hips and pull upward. Loud buzzing assaults your ears as the Novistador that has taken hold of you lifts into the air, its sandpaper legs scratching against your skin as it kicks off of the stone platform.

You cry out and struggle, all that good stuff, but it doesn't let go. So you shoot it. You whip your right arm around, dig the barrel into the Novistador's chest armor, and pull the trigger. The insect trembles in mid-air and swerves desperately as it tries to remain airborne. It is now that you glance down, and realize that that would be a very good thing, because the giant, bleeding insect is dangling you above the more-than-likely-somehow-bottomless pit of doom.

"Nicole, hang on! I won't let them take you!" Great. Now Leon's seen you, and he's worried. But what can he do to help? Your hero continues shooting at attacking Novistadors, yet glances at you with aggravation any time he can. He is clearly at a loss for what to do and is frustrated by it.

You however, cling to the hovering Novistador that struggles to gain height as green blood pours out of the tiny hole in its chest. Your Hollister shirt is being horribly stained, you realize. Whatever. The insect succeeds and begins to fly towards a window with seemingly renewed energy; it seems that your second kidnapping was just meant to be. There's no changing the plot of the game, you suppose…

_Hey. I'm armed. What can Salazar do to me? This could just turn out better than I thought. Maybe Leon won't even have to fight the little creep if I'm quick enough!_ You'll go with it. "Leon! Take this!" You chuck the handgun at Leon, who's still on the bridge. It'll probably be confiscated by Illuminados the moment Salazar sees you, so might as well give it back to Leon. It hits him in the back of the head.

What incredible aim!

That was just weird.

Poor Leon.

"_Nicole-_"

"I'll be fine! Don't worry about me! But up ahead there's two-" And the Novistador glides out of the window and into the chilly night air.

Figures.

Your insect captor flies in a straight path, obviously being summoned somewhere. You wonder how the dumb thing can see, the darkness of night in creepy backwoods Spain is so _impenetrable_. Your eyes suck in any light emitted from windows in the Castle, while the Novistador seems to thrive in the shadows. In less than a minute, three large fires catch your attention. Squinting, you can make out the nearby catapults and stock of gasoline-soaked boulders that will later be used in a hopefully futile attempt to kill Leon. Salazar and the rest of your little welcoming party await your arrival on the bridge, looking up in your direction. The Novistador concentrates completely on delivering you to its master. No one cares about what you are doing at the present moment…

You toss two grenades at the pile of boulders, and the explosion is terrific. The fire, even more so. Rock fragments fly everywhere, many bounce off of you and the Novistador, which shies away from the blast and light with a shriek. You get a glimpse of the chaotic ball of flame and blazing, splintered catapults before the insect detours around the clock tower to avoid the luminosity of the explosion. When you are once again in view of the destruction you caused, it is being tended to by a large group of Illuminados equipped with fire extinguishers. This place has fire extinguishers… yet Salazar wears such medieval clothing. It's almost funny.

The Novistador drops you from six feet in the air at the feet of Salazar and his inhuman bodyguards, then flies off. Not expecting this, you fail to make a graceful landing and fall flat on your butt. The midget taps his right foot furiously as you stand, and two Illuminados right behind you take hold of your arms to prevent you from running.

Salazar narrows his eyes, glowering up at you. "How _dare _you destroy some of my finest destructive artillery!? Do you have _any _idea how much my precious catapults _cost_, because they are no longer in production? I should just kill you now! You do not deserve to become one of us!"

"Well I don't want to, either."

"Silence!" he spits. Salazar turns to his bodyguards, his arms gesticulating wildly as he shouts, "No one told me that she was armed! How could either of you imbeciles not know!? The girl has _grenades!_"

You can't help it. This could be your chance to save Leon a _lot _of trouble. You smirk. "Yeah, and I know how to use them, too." With a sharp flick of your lower right arm, you toss a grenade over Salazar's head and behind the group in front of you. Salazar yelps and throws his arms over his head and his bodyguards form a protective wall behind him just as the grenade detonates, causing a thunderous explosion that sends Illuminados flying and leaves your ears ringing. It was effective, but too risky. Perhaps you should lighten up on the grenade-tossing from now on…

The bridge rumbles, and a loud crack is heard, then nothing. Salazar is quiet for a moment before he stands and glares at you. "That… was the _last straw_, little wench! I will go through with the ritual as I promised, but after that I will do my best to persuade Lord Saddler to let me kill you myself!" His fists shake as he motions to his bodyguards, who turn and clear out the bodies ahead of him, tossing them over the edge of the bridge. "Let's get off of this bridge before it collapses; hopefully Mister Kennedy will not be so lucky! And get those grenades off of her, and check for other weapons!"

The Illuminados that hold you move their hands along your pockets and shirt to be sure that you aren't hiding anything else to kill Salazar with; you want to kick them, but that would only cause more trouble, and you can't afford to die. After plucking the grenades from your belt loops and finding nothing else, they forcefully pin your hands behind your back with rope and drag you along behind Salazar to the large doors ahead.

Just before he steps off of the bridge, one bodyguard glances back, alert, then bends to whisper something to Salazar. The midget stops and draws out a transceiver from his coat, snapping it on and pressing a button. He cackles evilly as crackling and beeping are heard, then you hear him inquire, "I wonder if you can see me, Mister Kennedy?"

Leon's voice sparks an involuntary grin on your face. "If you even _scratch _her, I'll break your bones." Oh, dear. He's mad.

Salazar seems to be very amused. "First, we'll see if you can make it this far. I'll be waiting." He snaps off the transceiver with another cackle and tucks it away before continuing on to the Watchman's Hallway. You know that Leon is looking this way with the binoculars, so you turn your head.

A spot of blond hair in the distance! "Leon! Hey! In here there are two Garra-" The door is shut behind you.

Argh.

* * *

The Watchman's Hallway is very empty and quiet until you reach the stairs and Salazar rattles off something in Spanish to the Illuminados surrounding him. Several stay behind, obviously to square off against Leon, while others rush to the doors ahead and pull them open to reveal a Garrador and an Iron Maiden imprisoned in chains with iron bands clasped over their ears. They do not struggle, only sniff loudly and walk with the zealots that lead them into the room. Their eyes roll in their sockets, and bulky muscles twitch against the chains as they pass you by. You hate Garradors. As you approach the doors ahead, you hear deep growling as the chains are carefully removed from the excitable monsters. Frantic Spanish whispers accompany the movements, and you look back to see two Illuminados hesitantly reach up to remove the iron bands from the Garradors' ears. The next door is shut behind you. 

You are roughly pushed to your knees when you reach a spot by Salazar's throne far across the room. There, the alien Verdugo guards relieve the Illuminados of their duty and look after you, holding javelins at your neck to keep you still. The cold floor raises goosebumps on your bare legs. Salazar leisurely seats himself on the large throne, folding his pasty hands patiently. After about a minute or two he grows bored of waiting for news of Leon's death and fidgets in his seat. You hum and sing the Numa Numa song.

"Hello." Salazar looks at you, raising a wiry grey eyebrow. "Salud. It's me… your Duke. And I made… something that's real… to show you… how I feel. Hello. Hello? It's me-"

"Stop singing that infernal song! You are irritating me, Nicole, very much! And you do not want to!" Salazar taps his fingers on the marble armrests of the throne, glaring at you.

You raise an eyebrow in his direction. "Haven't you ever heard the Numa Numa song? It's also called Dragonstea Din Tei, if that rings a bell…" He scowls. "What? No? That's just not right, Salazar. I figured you'd at least have heard of it on the Internet or something, since you live in such a high-tech castle, but it must be tough getting to know anything new in a backwater place like this. So I guess it really is no wonder that you wear clothes that were in style a whole century ago."

The midget pounds a fist on the armrest, fuming. "Don't you dare say another word, you little conniving wench! You destroy my property, try to assassinate me, and now you throw insults at me!" He grinds his teeth as he glowers at you. "I will not stand for this. You think you are so strong, little girl? Let's see how strong you _really _are! Look around! You have no weapons, no friends, no _hope_! You have nothing!"

"I have God!" you retort. "The _real _Lord of our world, against whom Saddler can do nothing."

Salazar laughs manically. "Don't you even _try _to push Christianity on me, little girl. My grandmother was the only Christian in our family's existence, I am sorry to say, and she left all of our wealth and security behind for her delusions. My religion, on the other hand, the religion that built the magnificent additions to this castle, has physical and scientific grounds and a god that can be seen and touched. My god personally speaks to me every day of the time when he will gather his children together and purge the world of sin. Yours leaves a two-thousand-year-old whisper of a promise that He will come back for you. The Illuminados are a small but growing religious family, Nicole, and you will soon become a part of our family. So do not try to fight it with your desperate preaching."

"Do what you want to me," you reply, staring Salazar in the eye, "but you can't change me to a follower of Saddler's cult no matter what the ritual involves. My soul already belongs to God, and there's no way a corrupt, parasitic, Satanic old man can take it away from Him."

Salazar just about jumps out of his seat. "You will _regret _those words! You will regret them, little girl! You will not live past the day in which you openly insult Lord Saddler! I will go and spread Las Plagas to America _myself _if he will allow me to throw you in one of my most torturous chambers of death for the rest of your slow, painful existence! Do not preach to me any more! Do not tell me about the wonders or salvations of your God! He is an invisible, soundless, intangible being like every other fairy tale deity of nonsensical religions! Where is He now? What will He do to help you? Where is your miraculous salvation?"

At that moment, the doors across the room open with a bang, and Leon walks through. Anger blazes in his blue eyes, directed full blast at Salazar. A fully-loaded riot-gun is cradled in his arms.


	17. Chapter 16: The Ritual

**Author's Note:** School's started... I hope you all have a great year, and thanks for your continued reading and reviewing! I'm grateful for your continued patronage. Once again, there are more Christian references in this chapter than usual, just because of the situation. No intolerant flames, please. Enjoy!

(Oh, and I've been trying to make the chapters longer. What do you think?)

* * *

The fury in Leon's eyes melts the moment he locks eyes with you. "Nicole!" He runs forward, then stops at Salazar's voice. 

"Mister Kennedy, don't you know when it's time to throw in the towel?" His pudgy hand slams down on a button, and the floor tiles underneath of your blond-haired hero drop on their hinges.

Leon disappears as quickly as he came, and your breath stops the moment you lose sight of him. Your jaw slackens, but you wait, wide-eyed and alert, for that one sound that would mean that he is still alive…

…and wait…

BANG.

Your head falls against your chest, and you hear yourself actually gasp with relief.

Salazar screeches. "Aaah! How _dare _you! No more games! _Kill him!_" He jumps to his feet and directs a burning glare at one of his bodyguards. "KILL!" It nods and rushes out of the room. Salazar stomps past you, still keeping a hand to his ringing left ear. "Quickly! We shall prepare for the ritual!" The other bodyguard pulls you to your feet and pushes you along behind the furious midget.

"I'm praying for you, Leon! If you made it this far, God will protect you-"

Salazar whirls around. "_You shut up about your stupid religion!_ I don't want to hear any more! Another mention of your invisible God and I will have my bodyguard impale you where you stand! Do you understand me!?" His left temple throbs, and you swear his pasty cheeks are tinged with red. You stare down at him with a mixture of surprise and shock, and slowly nod. He turns back around and stomps to the door.

_God will protect you through the rest of the game, Leon. He loves you so much! I'll get you to see that someday. But for now…_

For now, you will be busy. You have an induction ceremony to attend very soon.

Salazar stops walking less than a minute later, and takes several deep breaths. You and the bodyguard wait as he pulls out the transceiver and calls Leon. In a much lighter and calmer tone, he hisses, "So maybe you have nine lives. But it doesn't matter now, Mister Kennedy! I've sent my right hand to dispose of you."

And then, as though the unexpected murder attempt had not just happened, the best line in the game: "Your right hand comes off?"

You snicker, and this really aggravates the medieval midget. "Say whatever you please. _Die_, you _worm!_" He snaps off the transceiver and jams it back into his coat, motioning to the bodyguard behind you to resume walking. You openly giggle in reminiscence of Leon's brilliantness, and Salazar silently fumes to himself. This is just not his day.

During the rest of the walk, you pray to God to protect you throughout whatever the Los Illuminados' induction ceremony may involve. The religion is, overall, Satanic. The opposite of Christianity. You can't be condemned in any way, but sparks are sure to fly.

You figure that this is probably going to be one of the worst experiences of your life.

* * *

Salazar leads you down a few hotel-esque halls that bore you the longer you walk through them. After about ten minutes, you arrive at a winding marble staircase, which he descends. A large, church-like window stretches the entire height of the staircase, allowing you to see the clear sky outside and the full moon that sits observantly at the peak of the window. As you descend, the staircase becomes darker and darker, until you can barely see Salazar in front of you until he opens a thick door at the bottom, and the area is flooded with torchlight from the corridor ahead. He leads you through another hallway identical to the corridors you were in before. 

"This is the servants' quarters, in case you were wondering," Salazar explains with a careless wave of his hand. "Of course, no one is here at the moment because they are all either preparing for the ritual or trying to find your friend Leon." He cackles. "This building houses up to five hundred of my followers, quite an overwhelming amount of enemies, wouldn't you agree?"

"Leon's done a good job killing everyone you've thrown at him so far," you reply. "And he beat villagers and Mendez before this. Something tells me even _you_ won't present much of a challenge."

Salazar remains quiet, but you see his shoulders shaking with controlled anger. "…I harbor a greater power than you realize, little wench. Mendez was given generous powers by Lord Saddler, but I am closer to my Lord, and am even stronger than that old priest. Leon will not stand a chance… if he can even reach me."

You decide to let him keep dreaming. He'll be rudely awakened in time. Right now, as you follow Salazar, you decide to continue praying. You exit the servant's quarters behind the midget and follow him deeper into the Castle, through a red door into a narrow stone hallway. The hall leads to an open room with the giant, terracotta robot-statue of Salazar.

Well, you _have_ to say something about this. This… symbol of self-idolization just begs for a sarcastic comment. You think for a moment.

"So… I really can't tell who you love more, Saddler or yourself." You smirk. "You talk about Saddler like he's God, but then you go and build something like _this_… Did your mother not love you enough? Is that why you idolize others and yourself so much? God loves you."

Salazar stops walking abruptly at the middle of the water-surrounded pathway, raises his left hand, and snaps his fingers.

Something tells you you've gone just a bit too far. The blunt end of the remaining bodyguard's spear rams into the back of your head, and thin arms wrap around your limp form as your vision goes black.

* * *

You come to when something warm and sticky drips onto your forehead. Understandably startled, you sit up, and cold metal shackles dig into your wrists when you do so. This isn't good. You look down, and see that you are chained to a small platform that is suspended over a round, stone floor almost ten feet below along which adult Plagas can be heard scuttling. You look up, and see the demonic source of the dripping slime. 

This tower is where your ritual will take place.

And where Leon will fight Salazar, malformed nearly beyond recognition by the gargantuan Plaga monster.

The gargantuan Plaga monster that is suspended directly above and around you, pulsing, breathing, salivating…

Waiting.

A high-pitched cackle draws your attention to your left, where Salazar stands, hands folded behind his back. "Ah, I was beginning to wonder when you would wake up. As you can imagine, we cannot start the ritual without you being fully conscious and alert."

"Darn. I wouldn't have minded missing the whole thing."

He scowls. "I thought I told you a long time ago to stay quiet! After this ceremony, I will make sure you are sorry for your insolence!" Salazar takes a deep breath. "But I will not allow myself to be angry with you until then. I have a ceremony to conduct." He turns to face the doorway behind him, and hisses something in Spanish.

Chanting Illuminados file into the room in two neat lines, led by four Leader Zealots each. They enter and surround you, staring at you with mindless red eyes. Salazar grins as the whispered chants escalate to near shouts, the gazes of possessed monks nearly boring into you.

"Morir es vivir… _Morir es vivir_… MORIR ES VIVIR…"

Salazar cackles and rattles off a dramatic oration punctuated by flourishing gestures. You don't understand a word except for "girl", "to die is to live", "Illuminados", "Plagas", "Saddler", and "going to change".

Then the Castellan turns and walks up the stairs to your platform, arms outstretched, his gaze focused on the giant Plaga creature that swallows over half of the room. He slowly croons to it in Spanish, coming to a stop one step below you, less than a foot away, but ignoring you completely. His yellow eyes stare at the alien thing in total captivation.

A squishing sound behind you attracts your attention more than the chanting, staring Illuminados and the murmuring Salazar. Your turn your head to see, with horror, the Queen Plaga stretching and elongating towards you, dripping the clear slime and other brown and red nameless fluids.

You gag at the stench. Salazar grins, still talking softly in a wavering voice. The Illuminados' chants boom in your ears.

Countless thin tentacles emerge from the open center of the Plaga beast, uncurling towards you. The monster itself stops only three feet away. The Plaga inside of you twitches maniacally, causing you to wince, and the adult Plagas below chirrup incessantly. Hot, stinking breath clouds around your body and you clamp a hand over your nose, inhaling deeply through your mouth. The odor leaves a sour taste on your tongue. Your eyes water. More warm slime drips onto your legs.

You scoot away from the Plaga monster weakly, but are stopped by two cold hands on your back. Salazar keeps you firmly in place, glancing at you only for a moment disapprovingly before returning his gaze to the creature suspended in front of you.

Like a grotesque flower, the monster peels away what seem to be outer layers of a fleshy pod to reveal a more horrific creature inside. A large, brown head sits inside of the pod, sporting two rows of impressively large teeth. You recognize this as the major attacker in Leon's battle against Salazar. It hums a low growl as one large, yellow eye swivels sickeningly to stare at you.

Salazar bursts into a long, loud laugh. "_Beautiful!_ You are so beautiful!" He stretches a tiny hand to the gargantuan thing. "Ooooh, I can feel the life in you. The _energy_ and _holiness_ in you." The monster clicks its teeth, saliva dribbling onto its chin. "I have another follower for you. She is unclean at the moment, but will soon be purified. This girl is a very important addition to Los Illuminados. I implore you to help me make her one with our family." The Castellan steps down, leaving you alone on the platform, and bows deeply. The other Illuminados hush, and imitate him.

Now it's just you and the Plaga thing.

The eye remains fixed on you, hot breath still projecting from its opening and closing maw. It seems to be considering Salazar's request. Maybe it will turn you down… that would be lovely…

The "countless tentacles" lash out and wrap around your arms and legs, and pull you towards the creature. But the chains hold you in place. Your wrists and ankles are cut by the shackles, and you hold back an agonized shout until the monster pulls forcefully and breaks the chains with a loud, wet snap. You gasp loudly. Pain sends a few tears trickling down your face, and you feel that your wrists and ankles are bleeding.

The creature retreats to its fleshy den, taking you with it. The adult Plagas on the floor follow, scampering along. It leaves you suspended in front of its pulsing, reeking home as it scrutinizes you from its slimy nest. You wriggle in the grip of the binding tentacles, and slip as you move against the coating of fluids. The tentacles tighten around you. You see your fingertips begin to turn blue, and you find it much harder to draw in air.

Finally, the Plaga monster hums louder, sending your Plaga writhing and twitching with such vigor that you are convinced that it is randomly flattening every organ in your abdomen. You scream and cry. The pain is so terrible that for a moment you don't care what the creature will do to you, you just want to lose consciousness for the rest of the ritual.

Then, you instantly calm down. The pain aches and lingers long after, but you don't seem to notice. The tears cease, you fall silent, and your heartbeat slows.

Your eyes also burn abnormally.

If you were in your right mind, you would still be struggling and screaming. But you aren't. You realize with increasing horror that you have lost control of yourself - that you are a puppet of the Plaga inside of you.

Your mouth opens and closes like a fish wanting to breathe, and sound bubbles up from your throat as though you are learning to talk again for the first time.

"Ma… Muh… Mo… Mor… Morir… es vivir... Morir es vivir." Salazar cackles from far behind you, and the other Illuminados chant with you. "Morir es vivir. Morir es vivir…"

Congratulations. You are a Spanish-speaking Illuminado.

The Plaga creature's grip loosens fractionally, much to the relief of your tingling fingers and toes. It hums softer and softer as it lowers you, still chanting, to the platform. Your legs fold underneath of you, and Salazar catches you just before you tip over the edge to the energetic adult Plagas. The tentacles slip away from you, leaving behind a thin layer of slime wherever they touched you. The shackles are heavy on your arms and legs, but the Plaga makes no move to remove them for you. You simply continue to stare at the monster in front of you with burning red eyes. Its returned gaze sends your Plaga twitching painfully.

At long last, the humming ceases, and the fleshy pod folds over the monster again. You gasp and breathe forcefully, wiggling your fingers and toes for confirmation that you are in control of yourself. Immediately you gag at the reeking odor that clings to you, and wipe furiously at the layer of slime.

Salazar grins at your pathetic form. "Felicitaciones, Nicole. You are an Illuminado." He pinches his nose, not hiding an expression of disgust. "Now, follow me and let's get you cleaned up. You must look and smell presentable for when you meet Lord Saddler." He waves to his bodyguard, who grabs your slippery shoulders and hoists you to your feet. You shuffle awkwardly behind Salazar as he leads you between the rows of whispering zealots and out of the tower, where you descend a rusted elevator and turn into an open area with a hose curled along the wall. As you walk, you use the disgusting advantage of being coated with slime to slip off the chains, and let them clatter on the floor. The Castellan speaks and gestures to the bodyguard, who twists a faucet on the wall and aims the hose at you.

You blink. "Whoa, wait-" And are instantly splashed with frigid water. You hold your arms over your face, shivering. "_Holy crap!_ You can't tell me you don't have showers in this castle!" The bodyguard maneuvers the hose so that you are sprayed head to foot, stinging your raw ankles and wrists. You feel the fluids running off of you.

Salazar chuckles. "Did you really think that I was going to waste my precious facilities on an ungrateful wench like you? Don't complain, little girl; you are clean." He shouts to the bodyguard in Spanish, who shuts off the hose and neatly puts it away. "Now come along, a hired associate of my Lord's is waiting for you ahead."

Your teeth chatter. "W-waiting for me?"

The midget grins again. "Yes. I do not know who the thug is, but he will escort you to our Lord's industrial island. There you will be… taken care of, and later sent back to your home country to carry out your task. Now let us keep moving."

You take a moment to dump the water out of your shoes. "Can I have a towel or something?"

Salazar cackles. You follow him back into the Castle and through several more winding halls. Eventually you emerge into a long, stone hallway. Moonlight streams through the large, glass windows to your left and right, and you can see a large door ahead. A circular room with a glass domed roof is visible from the windows, and beyond that, the sea. Apparently the room ahead is your destination.

Salazar steps to the side as you approach the door, now almost completely dry. "I leave you here. Hopefully I will never have to see you again. _Adios_, little wench."

The alien bodyguard yanks the door open, pushes you in, and locks it behind you.


	18. Chapter 17: Imprisoned on the Island

You shiver as your eyes adjust to the darkness. You tentatively step forward, eyes straining against the deceptive shadows, ears struggling to hear anything in the absolute silence of the room encompassed in glass windows and surrounded by the sea.

Then something really freaks you out.

A muscular statue moves, stepping into the moonlit circle in the center of the room. You jump back, managing to stifle a shriek. "So you got shoes now," Krauser grins at your reaction, contorting the pink scars on his face, "and a gun. Bet you think you're just as good as any of _us_, huh?" He barks a deep, amused laugh. His gaze returns to you. "I'll admit, you managed to get by better than I thought. But your little run-and-shoot game with Leon ends here. I'm taking you to Saddler's fortified island, and you won't leave there until it's time to go home." He stalks toward you, his thick boots thudding heavily on the blue carpet. A large fist clasps your thin left wrist, and the other arm wraps around your waist. In one swift movement, Krauser pulls you closer to him and throws you over his shoulder. Your chin crashes into his rock-hard shoulder muscles and your arms limply slide against his firm back. Your feet bounce off of his stomach. He chuckles, apparently not feeling anything more than a tickle out of the rough contact. "You're so _small_. It's a wonder that you haven't been killed yet." He kicks a door open and walks out onto the balcony. You'd love the fresh air if you weren't being toted around like a potato sack right now. Krauser descends a flight of stairs that leads into a skinny, dimly lit tunnel. You can hear waves sloshing against the rocky shore far ahead.

"I know how to take care of myself if I need to," you retort as Krauser walks. Your head bounces with his steady gait. This sucks. "And I can walk. What makes you think I won't just follow you to the boat? I've got nowhere else to go." _And Leon'll come and save me, anyway._

The seasoned fighter grunts. "You wouldn't get far, but I might get annoyed and break something of yours if you don't cooperate. I don't work well with hostages; I have a bit of a temper." He chuckles. "Anyway, Saddler trusts me to bring you safely to his people on the island, and I can't afford to break that trust. I've gone through enough trouble just to get here."

You fold your hands underneath of your chin as a cushion. "Why does Wesker want the Sample, anyway?"

Everything happens too fast for you to register it. You are whipped off of Krauser's back as he firmly grabs you and suddenly pins your back against the damp wall. The impact knocks the wind out of you. You gasp for more air as his grip tightens on your shoulders. Is he trying to break them!?

Krauser's light brown eyes glare at you intensely. You stare back, captivated and frightened. From this short distance, the scars on Krauser's face are all the more attention-catching to your eyes, but you concentrate hard on maintaining eye contact with him. His breath is hot on your face as he demands, "How do you know about Wesker and the Sample? What else do you know? Does Leon know this? Who told you!?" He squeezes your shoulders tighter, and a cry escapes from your lips. "Answer me! I won't hesitate to kill you if you remain silent."

You know he won't.

But you don't know what to say. You whimper in response, stalling for time to think. Not that you think well under pressure.

Krauser doesn't buy it. "You're smarter than you let on, girlie. But I'm not gonna stand here and pity you; either you tell me everything you know and how you know it or you'll die right here, and Leon'll find your skinny little corpse floating in the ocean!" His fist strikes your face with a damaging blow. You black out for a moment, then pain blurs your returning vision and causes you to feel dizzy. A loud ringing noise fills your ears. Krauser's image is tripled in front of you, each blurring into the other. You can feel blood gushing from the left side of your throbbing nose. You wonder if he broke it.

"_Talk_!"

You want to answer him so badly. You try to speak, and manage to slur a response. "I… didn't learn from anyone. Just… figured… it out. Honest. Read about Umbrella in the newspapers, remembered Leon from Raccoon City, you happened to take me here and I put it all together. Salazar caught me in a trap and muttered to himself a lot, that helped. Didn't tell Leon, he's got enough to worry about while he's here. That's it, promise…." Blood drips into your mouth as you talk.

Krauser glowers, stretching out some scars on his face and contorting others. "What else do you know about Umbrella?"

"Not… much," you admit. "Really. Pharmaceutical company, everyone knows that. T-Virus,

G-Virus… zombies… Wesker wants to resurrect it. Somehow getting the Plaga Sample will help." You notice that colorful spots have once again sprouted in your vision.

Krauser's frown deepens. "That can't be all. Somehow you know more than this, I know it. You're more than just a dumb schoolgirl I happened to kidnap two days ago."

Now you don't know what to say. You don't want to spill everything you know about Umbrella and Wesker for obvious reasons, yet Krauser expects more information from you. You don't want to think about what he'll do to you next if you keep quiet. Panic quickens the beating of your heart. _This is just a videogame! I'm supposed to make it out alive! Ashley never went through this!_

But you're not Ashley.

Your eyes water. "Shouldn't you be taking me to the island?"

Krauser laughs once. "Old Saddler can wait." His eyes stare into yours sinisterly. He would love to hurt you right now. Krauser slowly pulls out a knife and holds it against your throat. The metal is cold. "Now talk or die, Nicole."

Hearing him say your name makes you nauseous.

You glare at him as best you can manage with half of your face swollen. "Leon will ki-"

The tunnel quakes with the rest of the earth as a huge crash nearly deafens you. It sounds like something exploded not far away, but you know that Salazar's robotic statue has just landed far below the tower where Leon now is. He will soon be on his way to the island, and you will be there even sooner.

Or Krauser will kill you, whichever comes first.

Your potential murderer pulls you away from the wall as a large stone plummets to the floor where the two of you had just stood. He gathers you up in front of him and rushes to the dock at an abnormal speed. Within seconds he has thrown you into the boat, and climbs into the driver's seat. He starts it up and guns the reluctant engine, and you tumble to the back of the boat as it pulls out of the docking area. You lie still for a long minute, willing the soreness to go away as blood streams over your aching face. Water sprays your hair and face when you finally sit up, and looking back, the Castle has been reduced to a large, haunting shadow. Your heart sinks when you recall that Leon is still inside. Looking ahead, the Island looms in the far distance, your new prison. Spotlights are already lit and rotating, ready to alert every available Ganado to Leon's presence. Industrial scaffolding and metal buildings are illuminated with small yellow lights, appearing ghostlike in the fog that skims the cold ocean waves. The frigid air raises goose bumps and hair on your skin.

Krauser glances back at you. "Whatever that explosion was, it means that Leon's on his way. My old comrade…" He chuckles coldly. "My job is to kill him when he arrives, so once we get to the island you'll be given away to some pack of mindless Ganados. I'm sure they'll have fun with you." You can't see the grin on his distorted face. "After Leon's dead, you and I will still have some unfinished business. You can expect to see me again before Saddler sends you back to America. But depending on how things go, you might be shipped back in a coffin instead of a helicopter. It's up to you."

You suddenly feel numb inside. Videogames are friendlier than this. Real life, not so much.

The Island is only a short distance away. Buildings and cliffs are more distinguishable now. You no longer have to deal with Salazar.

Saddler is waiting for you instead.

* * *

Krauser runs the boat onto the sandy beach, allowing its front to dig into the chilled sand. You are thrown forward and crash into his back, causing something in your nose to crack and sending more hot blood flowing down your face. Krauser laughs and lifts you roughly out of the boat. "You're pathetic, really. Now let's go." You walk with him, or rather, he pulls you by an aching wrist, up the beach and to a rocky pathway that leads to an open area surrounded by small, sheet metal and concrete buildings. A pack of mindless Ganados are waiting, just like he said.

They turn and mutter in Spanish when they notice you, and as they step forward, Krauser lets go. "I'll see you later; I have a few death traps to set for Leon." You turn back to the beach, not sure if you're really trying to escape or not, until two Ganados grab your tender shoulders.

"Aaah! Me duele los brazos y… shoulders! Owww!"

They don't care. You wonder if they've even noticed the blood that runs down your face. The Ganados simply mutter among themselves, pointing at a burly one who sighs, and throws you over his shoulder. He carries you along more pathways and through tunnels until you recognize the area where Leon first encounters J.J. The heavily armed men behind him talk about you and laugh as you sulk in the Ganado's arms, trying to stop your bleeding nose.

Soon, the other Ganados scatter about the area, wandering around and taking practice swings with their weapons. You see J.J. emerge from a building ahead, toting his giant machine gun and decorated with belts of large, glittering bullets. To you this all feels a bit like a backstage tour - you are watching everyone casually prepare for Leon's arrival as though they are actors rehearsing their parts.

You notice that you are nearing the small building which Ashley was carried into - which Leon _saw _Ashley carried into. Meaning he can see you now, so why not get his attention? "_Leon!_ Hey, Leon! Over here! I'm all right! Just watch out for the guy with the gatling gun! Use the magnum!"

The door closes behind you. Whew! You did it! Maybe that will help.

"Te voy a matar!" You hear whirring and the rapid firing of bullets, then one loud shot of retaliation. So he _did _pick the magnum…

You wonder if you should have warned Leon about the man that bursts out of the oven later.

Poor Leon.

* * *

After a long walk through rocky tunnels and past lurking Ganados behind barriers of piled sandbags, you come upon a small, white metal door attached to an innocent-looking white building.

This is the freaky hospital.

You hate the freaky hospital.

The Ganado opens the door and carries you inside, and you are blinded by darkness. The place is damp and chilled, and smells moldy. When your eyes adjust, you see tipped-over lockers and scattered puddles on the concrete floor. Everything on this Island seems to be made of concrete and metal - nothing soft, nothing friendly. You shudder.

The Ganado holding you navigates around the piles of stacked boxes and crates, and rounds a corner. You nearly hit your head off of several thick pipes that run along the walls above you. An incessant, loud dripping noise irritates and creeps you out. Nothing else can be heard except for the heavy, splashing footsteps of the soldier's heavy boots in the wide puddles.

The soldier passes through an open doorway into an unlit corridor that accesses a small alcove to the left. An exclamation in Spanish startles you, causing you to accidentally kick the Ganado in the chest with fright. Your captor shakes you roughly, hurting your tender nose, but keeps moving. The hidden masked Ganado that had startled you snickers at your skittishness as he peers at you from the dark, shelf-flanked alcove. You stick out your tongue at him. He retaliates with a rude hand gesture. Huh, you've managed to communicate with a Ganado for the first time in a while…

You are carried through many more corridors and around numerous corners, down sets of stairs and through metal doorways that all seem the same in their rusted condition before the Ganado turns another corner and drops you in a familiar place - your prison cell on the Island. Your butt splashes in a puddle when you land, and you blink in the bright moonlight that cascades through the barred window above. To your right is a thick concrete wall, and the window. To your left, a table and piles upon piles of nameless boxes and crates. In front of you, a soldier chanting to himself as he shuts the metal door and locks you in.

Small drops of cold water incessantly pelt the top of your head. You look up to see a long crack in the ceiling from which the water leaks, and shuffle to the side. Now the dripping water splashes loudly into the puddle, and your pants and underwear are soaked.

Who knows when Leon will get here.

Lovely.

* * *

You stand facing the door to your prison, peering through the thick metal bars at any Ganado that passes by. You record in your mind the limited variety of soldier types and count how many of each wander around. Thus far the vested baton-carrier is the most common. You have nothing else to do but daydream and sing other than this…

You step back and hum to yourself songs that your twin would constantly play on her computer. The familiar tunes summon memories of hanging out in her room at home, dancing to Dragonstea Din Tei, Gackt albums, and All Around the World.

Your reminiscing is rudely interrupted by a group of Ganados that throw open the door, nearly knocking you over with force. You scramble away from them, only to be caught by one that had rushed behind that grabs your arm and hurls you to the floor. You crash against it with a gasp, recalling that the same thing had happened to Ashley during the game. So where's that security camera?

A red light in the top left corner catches your eye. Quickly you wave at it, sure that your hero is watching. "Leon! I'm okay! Be careful around Regenerators," Ganados mutter around you, and one jogs to the other end of the room, "you need to shoot them where the Plagas are! Get the Heat-" the red light snaps off. A soldier walks away from a small panel at the back of the room, a grin spreading across his haggard face. You frown. "I hate it when you guys stop me from warning Leon, I really do." The group steps closer to you and you stand, wary of possible invasions of your personal bubble or worse. "Come to think of it, I never saw what happened to Ashley after the camera was shut off." You glare at each of them in turn. "Step any closer, and I'll unleash five years of karate classes on you. I mean it. _Ve te ahora, Ganados_."("Go away now, Ganados.") Two of them laugh loudly at your Spanish, and all four of the soldiers grin and move towards the door. Just before leaving, they make sure to push you back into the puddle, cackling to themselves and pointing at your throbbing nose.

"Me chocan Saddler y tu!" ("I hate Saddler and you!") You jump to your feet and glare at the Ganados as they lock the door behind them.

And now the wait begins.


	19. Chapter 18: Rescued and Regenerators

**Author's Note:** I got bored, so here's another chapter! ...The title sucks, and I'm sorry. I was tired when I made it up. But thanks for over 20 reviews, guys! I hope you like the ending of this one.

Also making their gory debut in this chapter... Regenerators! Ew!

* * *

"Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging, Your love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet." You sing a contemporary Christian song to yourself as you sit in the back of the storage room, curled against a wooden table, shivering in the chilled darkness. The words are comforting, but your voice cracks from constant use over the past hour or so of humming and singing. You yawn loudly, and your eyelids droop. You're pretty sure that you haven't slept in almost 24 hours, or more. You rest your forehead against your knees, exhausted. Why didn't you just take a nap the moment the Ganados left you alone? All of this time that could have been spent sleeping, wasted… 

Well, you didn't think that Leon would take _this _long to get here.

You're almost angry at him for keeping you waiting, but then again, you're not fighting off Regenerators and gatling-gun-wielding soldiers. Give him a break, for crying out loud! He's trying to save you!

You stop singing and pray for Leon, for strength, and for salvation. And the energy to keep moving. Poor Leon hasn't slept since those little cat-naps in the Castle. How must he be holding up?

And you criticized him for taking a while to rescue you.

Now you're angry at yourself. You moan and try to fall asleep, which isn't hard. A long while later you wake up to a loud beep from your left. The metal door scrapes along the stone floor as someone -and you are pretty sure you know who- pushes it open. You wipe drool from the corner of your mouth just as Leon rounds the corner in front of you, brown eyes widening with relief as they meet yours. "Nicole!"

"Hey, Leon!" You stand and walk to him, a smile spreading across your face that disappears upon taking in his battered condition. "You… you're hurt."

"I've been through worse," he replies almost darkly, looking down at you with tired eyes. Large, purple bruises speckle his toned arms, and tiny puncture wounds and gashes are spread all over his torso. You see dark blood splattered on the front of his shirt. He must have run into a few Regenerators. "But I've got medicine. What about you?" Leon reaches out and wipes dried blood from just above your lip. "Your nose looks just about broken… Let me get you something for that."

You nod slowly, wishing he that he wouldn't disregard his own state of health for yours. "Someone bashed me around for not cooperating, but it wasn't anything major." Your friend scoffs as he tosses you a vial of herbs. "Nothing happened after that, I've just been shut up in here for a few hours. I took a nap."

"I can tell." Leon touches your forehead with an index finger. "Got a big red mark right there from laying your head on your arms."

"Wonderful." You smear the crushed herbs on and around your nose, breathing through your mouth to avoid inhaling the white cloud of fizz. Leon turns around and rifles through the suitcase, and you notice that his shoulders are shaking; either he's coughing slightly or doing a really good job of disguising a laugh at your appearance. You know you must look like you stuck your nose in a latte with too much whipped cream. You just wait for the moment to pass. When it does, you awkwardly clean your face with water from the puddle, then return to Leon, who is applying First-Aid Spray to his array of wounds. "Are you going to be okay? Do you need to rest here for a while?"

He waves a careless hand, sighing. "We need to move on. The Plagas are developing rapidly, and we won't be able to hold them off soon." His light-blue eyes look back at you, and he stands. "Have you suffered any recent attacks?"

"Nothing since the Castle, mine's been pretty well-behaved." You frown at the stress lines that crease on his forehead, and the darkness of pain in his eyes. "I'm guessing you didn't fare too well."

"No. But that doesn't matter, we need to go."

"Leon!" You reach up and grab his shoulder. He turns around, surprised. "Stop acting like that! It's annoying and stupid."

He raises an eyebrow. "Acting like what?"

"Like you can take a hit and it doesn't matter!" He opens his mouth to speak. "But it _does!_ You're still really beat up, and obviously your Plaga's been harassing you, but you act like that's nothing compared to a swing at my nose! Ugh! Your body isn't going to hold up for the rest of this nightmare if you pay more attention to me, and I barely get hurt."

Leon smiles slightly. "I appreciate your concern, Nicole, but I'm fine now. That spray was all I needed."

"Then why did you wince when I touched your shoulder? I don't suppose you still believe in getting cooties."

Owned.

A fluttering sound catches both of your attention. Leon walks around the pile of boxes to see that a paper airplane has flown through the window and skids to a stop at his feet. You follow him and watch as he plucks it from the floor and unfolds it, growing pinker as he reads the contents.

"It's from Ada…" His voice rises slightly, along with his mood.

"Ooh, a love letter?" You grin playfully.

"Pheh! Far from it." Leon frowns. "To sum it up, if we don't get that Plaga out of you soon, it'll be impossible to remove. Only a potentially fatal surgery will be able to take it out if we don't move fast enough."

"Well, that just made my day." You kick the floor lightly with your left foot.

"I'm sorry." Leon files the letter away in the suitcase. "But hey, the same thing applies to me."

"Oh, so we'll both die miserably together! How nice!" You walk to the door. "Let's crash this pity party and keep moving, shall we?"

Leon hands you four grenades and the loaded handgun, and takes out the Striker for himself. "Let's go."

* * *

A terrible smell invades your nostrils the moment you enter the control room for a crane that moves garbage dumpsters in the adjacent area. "Whoa! Ugh!" You cup one hand over your nose, keeping the other with the handgun raised cautiously. No one but you and Leon are in the narrow room. 

"Huh. Soldiers are milling around down there. If I shoot the window, do you think you could take them out with a grenade or two?"

"Heck yeah," you approach the controls, "but wouldn't it be more fun to operate the crane and mess with them a bit? Get creative, break the mold? Save some ammo?"

Leon looks at the joystick and buttons with interest. "Hmm, guess I could try to crush them with a dumpster or two…"

"Guess you could. Go for it." You step aside to allow Leon to stand in front of the controls, and he moves the joystick experimentally to the left. The crane slides to the left in response. The Ganados are oblivious. Leon maneuvers the crane over a dumpster and presses a button, and much like the arcade claw-game, the crane drops, closes on a dumpster, and lifts it. Some Ganados look up, but are not alarmed. Apparently they believe that one of them is operating the crane. Sucks to be them.

Leon drops the metal dumpster on a group of four soldiers that were chatting in a circle, and all are crushed. The rest of the Ganados whirl around to see the bodies and look up at Leon and you in the control room. Pointing, shouting, and running ensues. You and Leon draw your weapons.

"Well, it was interesting while it lasted." Your hero reloads the TMP as five soldiers push open the door ahead. Leon pumps them with bullets while you break apart two heads and blast several limbs away. Within minutes, all is quiet. You both reload as you step around the corpses and walk down the stairs.

The stench of garbage (and probably other things) reeks stronger in the larger room below. You both frown at the odor, but continue to the drop-off across the area. Staring down into the cold, stinking darkness, you don't get a good feeling. Two Regenerators aren't fun, even if Leon's encountered the freaky monsters before.

You look sideways at him. "There's no other way to get down there, is there?"

Leon returns the gaze. "Nope."

"And we _have_ to go down there."

"Yeah."

You shuffle closer to him. "This sucks, Leon."

He grabs your hand. "Only a little." And flings himself over the edge, taking you with him.

You clutch your precious handgun tightly in your right hand and squeeze Leon's in your left as you plummet through the chilled darkness. Suddenly your butt collides with cardboard boxes that fold under the impact and you slide downward with cascading pieces of metal, bottles, and other nameless garbage. Leon's hand slips from yours as you fall away, panting after having the air knocked out of you. Something sticky and sharp scratches against your left arm as you slow to a stop and your feet reach solid ground. It feels cold, and is attached to a lot of thick spines that poke and scrape your skin as you move. Unlike Ashley, you know what the grey "thing" next to you is. Leon wordlessly helps you up, keeping a wary eye on the limp Iron Maiden Regenerator behind you.

"Ugh, a Regenerator," you comment. "A more powerful one, too. Let's hope it's really dead." You inch towards the barred metal gate, staring at it in apprehension of its sudden return to life. Leon reaches over and pulls the lever, and the gate flies open.

The Regenerator rises to its feet in a single, wavelike motion, as though it has no bones in its body. Twitching and gasping, it takes several shaky steps in your direction before rapidly stretching clawed arms to Leon and grabbing his shoulders. As it pulls him closer with inhuman force it extends countless spines on its body, preparing to impale your friend. You shoot its forearms incessantly until it releases Leon, who backs away, thankfully unhurt.

He grabs the Semi-Auto Rifle and scans the monster carefully as the two of you back into the next area, both not allowing your eyes to leave the biological atrocity for a second. Suddenly Leon fires, and the Regenerator recoils with a loud groan. You picture one of the several Plagas inside of its body popping instantaneously and dealing a great blow to the creature's lifespan. One down.

The Regenerator lunges at Leon again, but you shoot at its large, rough hands just in time to prevent another attack. Leon immediately raises the rifle and deals three more blows to the monster that leave it moaning. Its torso twists backwards in an impossibly deep arch as it writhes in agony before it rises to a standing position and shuffles forward again. Clear ooze drips from between its fangs and nostrils as it moves toward Leon, who aims the rifle again for a final shot to the top of its fleshy head.

That was it. The thing groans and steps back as its chest and belly swell to double its size, and while a dying Plaga futilely attempts to reconstruct its scalp, the grey skin below stretches and gives way to an explosion of gore that cakes the area with lumps of cold flesh. Dark blood fountains from the staggering legs that take two awkward steps before crumpling to the heavily stained floor.

You stare at the lifeless mess for a long moment while Leon reloads and glances around the rest of the area. How _gross_ was that? And you thought heads popping off in real life was disgusting…

"Nicole." You look at him. He seems a bit concerned. "You okay?"

You nod. "Yeah, I'm fine! It's just… really gross, that's all. But I'm fine, don't worry."

Leon smiles, reassured. "All right. Let's keep going then, okay?"

"Deal. Let's get out of this creepy place." _Oh yeah. Like that'll happen anytime soon. In fact, there's another Regenerator just a few feet away…_

You follow Leon into the next area and help him push a heavy red dumpster out of the way before hearing the rattling gasps of another Regenerator. Leon makes quick work of this one; it's in bloody pieces before it even shuffles within arm's length. The two of you collect ammo and herbs and leave the area.

* * *

Your stomach lurches when you and Leon enter a very industrial room in which the yellow lights constantly flicker and buzz, because just ahead is the large yellow truck that… _someone_… will have to drive. 

And you sure as heck don't want to.

Not only would that mean that Leon's life is, in a sense, in your hands, but you would also have to keep calm at the wheel while resisting the urge to jump to the back and help Leon fend off the waves of Ganados.

Plus, you have no idea if you can even drive this thing.

Those worries are temporarily washed aside as you help Leon scurry about the immediate area and collect items from crates. Lots of Shotgun Shells and herbs, a sure sign of future struggle. Maybe Leon will get the clue. Not that it'll stop him from recruiting you as the driver, though…

"Hey, this's a truck. Looks like it's the quickest way along the road. Can you drive it?"

"_Can _I? Don't think so. _Will _I? Only if you make me."

Leon frowns. "Well, I'm making you. One of us drives, the other defends, and personally, I'd be happier doing the defending. I'm sure all sorts of stuff will be attacking us from behind. Besides, you can handle this." He jumps into the truck bed and peers into the front. "Yeah. There's the steering wheel, two pedals, and a switch that toggles between forward and reverse. Also a switch that controls the mechanism on the front, but it's really simple. The whole thing's very basic; it's nothing you can't handle."

You climb up and join Leon. "You don't know that. I don't have my driver's license."

Leon stares at you quizzically. "No license? You're seventeen."

Now you frown. "Thanks for the reminder. Believe it or not, Leon, not all teenagers are the same. I haven't been allowed to get my license until I turned seventeen and lately I've been too busy with schoolwork. Sorry to disappoint you."

He looks regretful for a moment, and shakes his head. "Sorry for assuming that. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to or can't do, Nicole. That's not fair to you since you've stuck with me through everything else so far. If you aren't going to drive this truck, I'll do it. But we'd better hope that nothing comes out at us."

You smile sadly. "Couldn't we just walk?"

Leon shakes his head again. "If other vehicles are on this road, we won't stand a chance of avoiding a fatal collision. This will at least offer some protection and slow down any oppressors on foot. I'm at least making you come with me onto the vehicle. Just decide whether you want to drive it or not."

You stare at the controls one more time before swallowing hard and nodding. "For both our sakes, I'll do the driving. Pray for me, okay?" That question was automatically blurted; it's something you say to acquaintances often in difficult situations. Leon nods, but probably more in agreement to your decision rather than your request. You climb into the cushioned driver's seat and are pleased to see that the keys have been left in the ignition. You give them a turn and jump when the machine rumbles to life, then calm down and shift to "Forward," and press lightly on the gas.

The truck inches forward.

It's a start.

You press harder, then floor it as you gain confidence. The machine only seems to crawl along compared to how fast you'd like it to move.

Minutes also crawl by slower than you'd like. Ugh, everything that you dislike seems to take forever to get through.

"_Gyarh!_"

"_Te voy a matar!_"

Ganados suddenly appear from behind you on the road, and you turn your head to see a large group sprinting towards the truck bed. Then you remember that you're the designated driver, and quickly plaster your eyes to the road again and grip the steering wheel. If you let Leon down, you'll both probably die. Stay focused.

It's hard to ignore the random, rapid gunshots behind you at first and Leon's cries of pain and anger, but eventually you get used to it and concentrate completely on driving. It all goes pretty well for a little while.

Then a loud, screaming horn shatters all resolve and supposed bravery in an instant. You panic as you hear what sounds like metallic stampeding behind you that grows louder every second, and slam your foot down on the gas again. The truck speeds up in a quick burst that instantly dies down. The vehicle behind you roars louder until a quick rifle blast results in splintered wood and a loud crash that rattles the road, but leaves your truck unaffected. You don't look back.

"Leon, whatever you did, it was awesome!" Your voice is slightly shaky.

"Thanks!" His is reassuring. Leon's the best.

You continue driving, doing your best to keep your eyes and mind on the road as Leon grunts and fires at continuously assaulting Ganados. Minutes later, you are forced to stop at a dead end on a lift, and point at the platform above. "Pull the switch up there so we can keep going! Be careful, there's a lot of Ganados."

Leon nods. "Stay here!" You watch him as he ascends the left metal ladder and brings out the Striker. Then you wait anxiously for him to return, listening to gunshots from above that you are unable to see. A body drops onto the front of the vehicle with a sickening thud, spattering blood on the yellow hood cover and your shirt, then slides off slowly, leaving behind a few cracked teeth. As you try to forget that terrifying image, you hear Leon shout an apology while he runs for the other ladder.

Two heavy thuds behind you alert you to the presence of two approaching soldiers. You pull out your handgun and twist in the seat to face them, and aim for their unprotected legs. After you shoot both pairs of legs until the soldiers are disabled, Leon jumps onto the vehicle bed and takes off their heads with one well-aimed shot. With a loud, metallic groan, the lift begins moving upward. Leon throws the bodies over the sides and returns to you. "You all right?"

"Yeah! Nothing- nothing happened." You busy yourself with reloading your gun, and Leon reloads the Striker during this short moment of calm.

All too soon the lift halts, and you shift gears and push on the gas again, heart pounding faster as the truck rumbles along. The next flaming vehicle will come from ahead. You'll have to give Leon a quick warning.

A series of wet cracks and spraying fluids signal the emergence of a well-developed Plaga from the skull of its unfortunate host. You squirm in the cushioned seat as drops of hot liquid splash on your neck. The smell is sickeningly familiar; this particular odor that leaves a sour taste in your mouth once surrounded you in the tower as you underwent the Illuminados' induction ritual. You are quite suddenly pulled from the nightmarish memory when the slimy exoskeleton of the parasite behind you bursts open in a bloody explosion, and more stinking gore rains around you.

You squeeze your eyes shut for a moment, fighting back a strong urge to throw up. Sometimes you wish you could've miraculously experienced a tamer videogame… like Animal Crossing or something. That wouldn't have been so bad…

A loud horn blast from ahead causes you to jump in your seat, and you shout, "Leon! The truck's in front of us!" You hear a gunshot crack just above your head and see the engine of the speeding vehicle in front of you explode into flames. As it skids closer and closer to the industrial truck, your vehicle drifts to the left and rams into a concrete wall that collapses into rubble. Stone blocks overhead threaten to drop onto your skull, and you throw your arms over your head, but look back for Leon. A thick cloud of gritty dust prevents you from seeing anything, and suddenly your stomach slams into the steering wheel as the truck shudders and breaks down. Your forehead smacks off of the metal dashboard and you slump to the side in pain. Your friend's ragged gasps can be heard from somewhere nearby; you sit up, coughing as dust sticks to the back of your throat. "Leon… where are you?" Your voice cracks the louder you try to speak.

"I'm looking for you, I'm okay! Where are _you?_ Can you move?"

You slide out of the seat and trip on unstable rubble beneath your feet. Leon catches you, enfolding you in bruised muscular arms. "Found ya." His smile mirrors yours. "Looks like we're both pretty beat up. Let's find a place to rest and I'll give you a First-Aid Spray. Is anything broken?"

"No…" Leon holds onto your arm as the two of you stagger away from the pile of concrete debris. You see the double metal doors first and guide him to them, then quickly assist him as he gathers items and Pesetas around the room. The merchant eyes the two of you with near concern at the bruised and battered condition in which he sees you. You shake white dust out of your hair as Leon greets the merchant, then notice the wrought metal doors to your left.

Saddler is waiting beyond them.

Waiting for you.

* * *

Your mind is clouded by a haze of apprehension as you stand patiently and wait for Leon's negotiations with the merchant to end. As you hear the merchant close his cloak and mutter the usual good-bye, you realize that there is nothing you can do to prevent being kidnapped again. Saddler has control over the two of you, now that the Plagas have matured enough. No matter what you say or do, once the two of you inevitably enter the next room, Saddler will take you. 

Leon sprays scratches on your arms and legs, then his, and opens the door.


	20. Chapter 19: Path to Closure

**Author's Note:** This is a bit of a long chapter, and a _lot_ happens in it! Are you psyched? I'm psyched. Now get reading! The end is near!

XD

* * *

You silently follow Leon into the cold, torch-lit room, and are no less frightened to see Saddler standing at the top of the stairs, his back to you. The Plaga Staff pulses madly in his grip. You see Leon tense and clutch his handgun. Saddler turns around slowly, speaking: 

"I can _feel _them, _growing _ever so strongly inside you." He smiles, his pale blue eyes boring into you. You shiver.

Leon shouts angrily. "Saddler!" He sprints forward, all of his energy concentrated on eliminating the man in front of him.

Saddler raises his hand, his long, black fingernails pointing at Leon. Leon instantly cries out in agony and puts a fist to his chest. The handgun falls to the metal floor with a clatter. Saddler laughs with satisfaction as he steps closer to the top stair.

"Perhaps you can resist, but you cannot _disobey_." He momentarily relishes watching Leon writhe in pain, still clutching his heart.

Then he turns to you, and holds out his hand.

You can't help but draw back, and cold chills rush through you. Saddler smiles. "Now, _come to me_, Nicole."

His words invoke a sharp twitch inside of you. Your head falls limp, your chin touching your chest. _The parasite really _has_ grown! This can't be happening!_ You feel energy building up inside of you, and after a long moment, during which Leon's cries are all that can be heard, you finally raise your head. Your eyes burn with blood that shouldn't be there, but the burning is somewhat alleviated when you open them and stare mindlessly at Saddler. And then you walk.

The Plaga inside of you twitches softly, you can feel it gently bumping against things in your abdomen. And you move. You take slow, awkward steps towards Saddler. Every cell on your skin tingles, the Plaga's control over your nerves causes you to feel _everything_. Leon's breath stirring the air raises several hairs on your left arm as you approach him. You blink slowly. Your breathing is quiet and unnatural, and you know that the Plaga is even in control of that.

Leon's breathing is ragged, and you know that he is experiencing agonizing pain. Yet he reaches out towards you desperately, still trying to stop you, and your bare legs sense warmth radiating from him in the air. His outstretched hand slams into the floor as he buckles forward. You pass him by slowly, your gaze not leaving the pale eyes of the religious tyrant in front of you.

"_Nicole!_" Leon's tone is a mixture of rage and despair. Your heart sinks. There is nothing either of you two can do._ Leon… I'm sorry… but I know you'll find me._

You feel a small pressure hit your back. Your hypersensitive nerves detect the cold that clings to the small metal tracking device.

The Plaga expertly navigates your feet up the short flight of stairs, and twitches excitedly when both of you stand close to Saddler and the Plaga Staff. Saddler smiles, skin creasing around his pale blue eyes, and raises his left hand. You take it, and his cold skin absorbs the warmth that yours retains. Every wrinkle in his tanned palm is felt as they brush against your smooth hand. Your skin tingles at every point of contact between his hand and yours. His cold fingers fold around yours, and the tapping of his long fingernails against your sensitive nerves irritates you. No warmth emanates from his body whatsoever, only energy. The Plaga inside of you constantly twitches and squirms in your abdomen as long as you are in his presence. You feel very awake, very _alive_. Saddler turns, and you follow him as he guides you to the exit. All is silent, save for Leon's struggling.

Saddler opens the door in front of you, and your mind races, anxiously wondering what is going to happen. It will be a long time before Leon rescues you again, and you have no idea what Saddler's plans are for you until then.

* * *

You end up walking with Saddler for quite a while. After passing through the door that Leon would momentarily go through, Saddler makes an immediate left, and opens a door that is hidden in shadow and well camouflaged by paint. You shut it behind you (so polite!), and the two of you descend a long, narrow flight of stairs. The passageway is very poorly lit by dim, buzzing yellow lights. 

Saddler chuckles, startling you. "You know, you and Mister Kennedy have been much more trouble than I ever could have predicted. He has taken you from my men several times and, not only that, he has killed two of my dearest friends." His voice trails off with dramatic sadness. "Not even the Regenerators could stop him. He has even surpassed the Iron Maidens, I find that to be a bit irritating, don't you?" You reach the bottom of the stairs, and Saddler stops and looks at you. You robotically stare at the clasp on his robe. Your face is expressionless, yet you are scared. Saddler frowns. "You despicable thing, you can't even look at me properly when I address you. You are very lucky that you aren't dead by now." He speaks steadily quicker, anger rising in his voice. "I could have ordered Salazar to kill you long ago, rather than induct you as one of my followers! I shouldn't have to tolerate being chased around by a smart-mouthed American who is tearing my religious cult apart, because he wants to rescue _you_! You are _not _worth all of the resources and money that Leon Kennedy is costing me!"

You want to cry, but the Plaga in your abdomen just twitches. Saddler's scowl twists upward into an amused laugh. He slips his hand away from yours and uses it to tilt your face upward. Your stare follows, and meets his. "But I suppose that your pretty little face and warm skin somewhat make up for this disaster. I have not been among attractive women in a very long time." His mouth narrows into a firm line. "But you Americans are bred to be alluring and disrespectful. Such is why I will use you to exterminate your own country. And the sooner I seal you inside of the machine, the sooner you will be ready to help me overwhelm your nation and spread Los Illuminados to the rest of the world!"

_Yeah, that sounds like fun. Now get your wrinkled hands away from my face!_ You hate this, and really wish that Saddler would have just stuck to holding your hand.

To your disgust, he does, and guides you through the next door, which leads to a long, dark pathway. The string of scattered yellow lights leads here, and the buzzing gets louder when the two of you enter the hallway. The walk takes a very long time as Saddler leads you around many twists and turns, occasionally encountering a Ganado or two. Staircases and doors also appear almost randomly. You realize that this passageway leads to virtually every building on the Island.

A very loud, ragged hiss greets you as you follow Saddler around a corner. The heat pulsing from the Regenerator beside you aggravates your nerves, and intensifies when the Regenerator stretches its clawed arms to your shoulder. Suddenly it stops, twitches madly, gasping, and stands still. Its large fangs glisten with oozing saliva as it stands behind you, inhaling your scent through tiny, flaring nostrils.

Saddler frowns as he leads you away. "I despise Regenerators, although they certainly are formidable soldiers." Now he chuckles. "I apologize for its eagerness to tear you apart." The grin lingers on his wrinkled face as he continues down another hall and gives several Ganados a silent command.

Finally, you come to a set of white double doors that Saddler chooses to go through. The room inside is white, and very well lit. The electric crackling of a deadly baton that a soldier Ganado is holding catches your attention after you enter. The energy that it emits causes the hairs on your arms and legs to stand on end.

You are in a sort of hospital room. Directly in front of you and Saddler is a thick glass half-wall that parts the room into two halves: an observatorycontrol room and an operating room. Inside the operating room, many whirring monitors and machines wait to be used, and a large, black television screen is mounted on the opposite wall. Everything is very white and very clean. Saddler releases your hand, and the Plaga inside of you twitches as you automatically walk into the operating room. You are very scared. Ganados in operating attire stare at you as you sit, then lay down, on the table. _What are they going to do to me!?_ Your heart would be pounding out of control if the Plaga wasn't regulating its beating.

Saddler motions from behind the glass to the "doctor" Ganados, who strap you securely to the table. His hypnotic hold on you is released, and you thrash against the metal bindings, to no avail. Saddler laughs. "My dear puppet, do not worry, we are not going to cut you open! We will only give you an anesthetic to calm you, and then give your Plaga a few stimulants to speed its growth. Afterwards, you will sleep peacefully in a machine until you are ready to be taken back to America. Now, if you lie still like a good girl, then the needle that we will use should not impale you." You hate listening to him, but he's right. You stop moving as a bearded Ganado sticks a needle into your neck and pumps something clear into you. You tremble on the cold metal stretcher as all watch you and wait for the anesthetic to take effect. Your heart pounds. In about one minute, you're unconscious.

* * *

A loud whoosh and the sound of moving machinery wakes you, and you are aware of the sensation of being lowered. Strong, warm hands take your shoulders and pull you out of something that bound your hands and feet. You fall into Leon's arms, and as your eyes flutter open, you can make out Saddler and a woman in red in the background. Saddler is angry. You sleepily run with Leon out of the room, and gunshots, then an explosion, fully bring you back to consciousness. A loud crash and crumbling stone startles you, and you and Leon turn around to see that the way back is blocked by burning rubble. Not that you'd want to go back, anyway. 

Leon glances around the quiet, empty room for danger, then looks at you. "Are you all right?" You nod, biting back a grin at seeing Leon again. He doesn't try to conceal a smile, and takes your hand as he leads you to the door. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

* * *

Outside, Leon spends a good deal of time with the merchant, and sells a very beautiful Gold Lynx statue with three rare stones set inside. You recognize Treason and Judgment, but aren't sure of the third gem. The merchant is visibly excited to gain possession of this treasure, and pays a boatload of Pesetas to get it. Leon finishes upgrading the riot-gun and the handgun, and purchases a rocket launcher and two First-Aid Sprays. Both he and the merchant are a great deal satisfied with their business. 

You stare at the rocket launcher as Leon fits it into the large suitcase. That thing is _huge_. Of course it occupies an entire length of the extra-large suitcase! But my, you can just imagine the beautiful explosion it will cause when Leon fires it. You're sure he's used a rocket launcher before, while you had been captured, but you have never seen it so close. You can't wait for Leon to aim it at, say, a large group of Ganados or a Regenerator and fire.

Leon snaps the suitcase shut, thanks the merchant -whose eyes gleam with an almost evil joy- and walks to the next area, picking up a green herb and TMP ammo along the way. He opens a thick metal door, and leads you to a staircase that is brightly lit at the bottom. A Ganado spots you the moment you enter, and shouts metallically. Leon glances at you. "Wait!" You stand patiently as Leon jogs forward, and is met by two giant soldier Ganados that thunder towards him, holding their scrap-metal clubs aloft. Leon shoots each once with the riot-gun, stunning them, and pulls out his handgun.

"Nicole, here!" He tosses it to you. Oh man, does it feel good to have your baby back! You grin and run forward to Leon's side aiming at the heads of the lumbering armored giants.

A smaller Ganado reaches for you from your right. You turn and fire, and take out his left eye. Blood pulses from the empty socket as he clutches at his face with one hand, and swings at you with the other. You shoot his hand, then his head again, and the Ganado falls with a loud groan. Leon has killed one giant, and the two of you overwhelm the other. He tosses you a pack of ammo, and you both reload during the silence that follows. You hand him a bar of gold that a large Ganado had been carrying.

Leon runs a hand through his hair. "Y'know, you're getting really good at using a gun. You're a natural at killing people."

You smirk. "Anyone would be after spending two days out here."

He returns it. "You know, I _am_ a government agent. I may have to keep an eye on you when we get back to the States."

You squeal. "Does that mean you'll visit? That would be _so cool!_"

Leon laughs. The tunnel splits ahead of you, and you follow him to the right and pass through another metal door. You run up a ramp, and re-enter the room where Leon rescued you. The rubble still burns in a far corner. Leon looks around the room, and sees a staircase in the back. You ascend, and run along the balcony where Ada had fired at Saddler, and keep moving along the catwalks until you enter an upper computer room. Leon looks around for anything useful, like a switch or door, but only ammo and herbs are worth attending to. It seems like the adventure has lapsed into running around, taking things, and shooting things again. You wind up going back the way you came, and into the tunnels. Woo-hoo.

This time in the tunnels you make the left, and open two large, rusted, metal doors. Leon walks in and stops. You wonder what he has seen, and look inside. Cutting-edge computers and monitors glow brightly, humming with life. They are all connected in one area to a large, metal chair with hand and feet braces that sits in another area. Two pointed laser-devices are curled and suspended above the chair. Leon eagerly approaches the machine, and you nervously follow.

"Nicole, this is the machine that can get rid of the parasites!" He turns to you excitedly.

"This thing? Are you sure…? Is it really safe?"

Leon replies with the least reassuring answer in the world. "Only one way to find out. You operate."

_You_ operate.

Oh my gosh.

You're going to kill Leon.

He sits in the chair and relaxes while you nervously lower yourself into a swiveling chair in front of the main controls. "Um, Leon… are you really sure? I'm only seventeen, I don't exactly have a PhD, or whatever. What if I set the lasers to 'kill' or something? That wouldn't exactly help us."

Leon has no problem with this whatsoever. You hate him. "Nicole, don't worry. I know you can figure this out."

You raise your hands, at a loss. "They wouldn't have put all these flashing buttons here if it was easy enough for a high-school kid to use!"

"_Nicole._"

"…What?"

"You can do it."

Oh, maaaan… You stare at the screen hopelessly. A green arrow points to a green flashing button on the control pad. Above the arrow is the English caption "Start Plaga Removal."

Oh.

You push the button. The braces tighten around Leon's wrists and ankles, shackling him to the cold, metal chair. The lasers move, aiming their daggered points accurately at Leon's beating heart. Speaking of heart, yours is going wild. On the screen, a computerized scan of Leon's torso appears. _Nice_.Then it zooms in and x-rays, and you can see his ribs, heart, liver, stomach, and Plaga. Ew, it's _moving_.

Two columns of data in a tiny font scroll quickly up either side of the monitor, and a red caption flickers in the middle of the screen: "ELIMINATING." The lasers shift as the points become brightly illuminated, then Leon gives a sharp cry as the crackling light pierces his chest. You watch the Plaga inside of him twitch with surprise, then writhe in pain as Leon does in the chair. This continues for about ten seconds until Leon thrashes once with great force, shouts painfully, and falls back, silent. The lasers pull away and the bindings open as the process ends. You are astonished as, on the monitor, the Plaga inside of Leon squirms and then disappears completely. You stand and walk to Leon, who is breathing forcefully with closed eyes. "Leon, are you okay? How do you feel?"

He manages a smile as he rubs his wrists. "Like a million bucks." He sits up and looks at you.

"I seriously thought I was killing you at one point," you admit. "And then the Plaga just - disappeared! It's gone, Leon!"

He smiles. "I know, I can… tell, kind of." He stands up. "You're up."

You sit down, and the braces close in on your wrists and ankles. You mentally prepare yourself for the pain as the lasers unfold towards you and recharge. A momentary glance at Leon's concerned expression reveals that this is indeed going to be unpleasant.

Suddenly, thousands of tiny, electrified needles puncture your chest and dig through your muscles repeatedly, burning and freezing through you at the same time. Every nerve in your body becomes hypersensitive, magnifying the pain tenfold. The Plaga inside of you twitches and writhes madly, as you do. The bluish light from the lasers above sting your closed eyes. You try to hold back screams with little success.

An eternity later, the needles pull themselves out of your body and the Plaga calms down. A tingling sensation lingers in your chest, and you pat down your bangs to get rid of static that had built up. Your abdomen feels empty.

The machine releases you, and the lasers curl up silently. Leon is instantly at your side as you sit up, putting a hand to your tingling chest.

You look at Leon and smile, and are very surprised when he gently embraces you for a moment, murmuring, "You did it. For both of us." When he pulls away, you're blushing, of course, and he holds you by your shoulders. "I don't know about you, but I think it's time we went home."

You nod and follow him upstairs and outside.

* * *

You wave at the merchant when you see him this time, and he stares at you. "The lass seems to be abnormally happy now," he mutters to Leon, who is checking the suitcase inventory. "Perhaps she's got a desire for one o' my specialized necklaces? I hand-carved a pink one that just happens to be her size; I learned the technique while I was trekking for priceless jewels in the Himalayas. It can be all yours for-" 

"Three First-Aid Sprays should do it," Leon interrupts, digging out the money, "and I'll want to upgrade some weapons."

The merchant scowls as he takes the Pesetas and hands out First-Aid Sprays. "Knew I shoulda just asked the lass right-off… What are ya' buying?"

"I'll finish up the TMP and Rifle." Leon pays, and you see that you're running a bit low on money.

The merchant takes Leon's TMP and opens a crate full of black metal parts. He deftly plucks select pieces from the crate and switches them up with parts from Leon's gun, ending with a new cushion for the handle. "That's free. But there ya go, stranger. It's more powerful and holds more bullets. But if you pay just a bit more, I can give her the Exclusive-"

"I told you I'm not interested in carrying around jewelry."

"I meant for your _gun_, stranger! The TMP has an Exclusive _upgrade _that is available only after you've acquired all previous enhancements, and this particular improvement increases the weapon's firepower beyond normal limits. It'll be nigh unstoppable after this, if you got one hundred thousand Pesetas on ya, stranger."

For some reason, Leon looks at you. "Should I go for it?"

You scowl. "Well, you wouldn't get me the necklace, so why should I care?"

Leon frowns. "Women…"

You punch his arm. "I was kidding! And to answer your question, yes, if we can afford it."

He counts a few coins. "We can get it, and barely avoid bankruptcy." You smile.

So does the merchant. "Heh-heh-heh-heh, thank you!" He tinkers with the gun a bit more, then hands it back to Leon. "I wouldn't want to be lookin' down the barrel o' _that_ weapon!" The merchant takes the rifle and switches around a few parts. He also cleans the lenses and replaces the shoulder strap. "Nice thing to do, eh?"

"Sorry, I can't afford to give you a good tip." Leon smirks. The merchant frowns. You refrain from snickering.

Leon sells a few Spinels and Emeralds, and the merchant gladly pays for them, turning his squinted eyes to you. "Yeh'd look somethin' pretty with that necklace on…" You blush.

Leon seals the bag of Pesetas. "No thanks."

As the two of you walk down the stairs -and you swear that the merchant is eyeing the empty space around your neck wistfully- you mutter, "You never asked if I really wanted it."

Leon stops. "Do you?"

You keep walking. "No, but you never asked."

Leon laughs once. "I'm _sorry_."

You approach a giant, industrial-looking, metal lift. Both of you look up into the heavily clouded sky, at the construction zone high above at the top of the cliff. Leon frowns. "Something's not right. Nicole, stay here."

You nod slowly as he jogs onto the lift and pulls the lever. You watch your hero disappear into the darkness above, and continue looking until the gears grind to a halt, and nothing else can be seen or heard.

After a moment, shock hits you as you realize that this is

the final battle.


	21. Chapter 20: Salvation

**Author's Note: **It's short, but it's done! Please leave a review, and check out my new forum - it concerns the future of this story, and I'd appreciate hearing all of your thoughts. If that doesn't persuade you to check it out, then read this: _it has a poll!_ Go vote!

Thanks to all of you wonderful, beautiful readers for over 5,000 hits and over 30 reviews! I will love you forever!

1wingangel

* * *

You play with your hands and fidget anxiously as the minutes crawl by with no word or appearance from Leon. 

Then you hear a scream.

A bloodcurdling, inhuman shriek accompanied with tearing and cracking sounds, everything wet and muffled to your ears. You see a cloud of dark liquid spray from the platform above and spatter on the rocks ahead of you. Blood and fluids. Saddler has transformed.

This fight is out of your hands; all you can do is pray that God will deliver you in these final moments of the game. You're so close to salvation now…

A crash of metal against stone from afar startles you from your thoughts. You shudder and continue to pray, turning the handgun in your palms with worry.

Eight minutes have passed. The gloomy, overcast weather does nothing to calm your mood.

Nor does the unexpected sound of a short cough behind you. You jump, whirling around and pulling out your handgun, but refrain from crying out. You don't want to worry Leon any more than he needs to be right now - especially since the source of the cough was only the merchant. After calming down, you narrow your eyes at the burly man. "You could have given me a warning that you were three feet away!"

He raises an unruly eyebrow as frantic gunshots crack from the scaffolding above. "I didn't clear my throat for nothin', lass. And yeh can lower your gun. Tho' I must say, yeh got some good reflexes now. You've impressed me with your ability to handle firearms."

You oblige as a grin flickers across your face. "Thank you, but why sneak up on me? I don't have any money for the necklace, if that's where you're going."

The merchant shakes his head with a sigh. "No, I've come here to warn yeh that if your friend doesn't come back soon, yeh may want to leave without him."

You tilt your head. "And why would I do that?"

"Osmond Saddler's got enough explosives strapped to this island to blow it off the Earth," he growls, "which is just what'll happen whether he wins the fight or not. The button to set it off is out of his hands - but I can't tell yeh who's got it now. What matters is that I'm offerin' to get yeh out of here whenever the signal-"

Another, louder crash of metal crumpling against stone rings in your ears, and the merchant looks up. "That'll be it. Not much time until this place is nothin' but smoking rubble, lass. Will yeh come with me?" His bright eyes lock onto yours.

You swallow, already pretty sure of your answer, but curious. "How are you going to leave?"

"Got a boat waiting at the dock. There'd be room for the stranger if he makes it, but I doubt that, given the amount of time this fight is taking. But no more questions - are yeh coming with me, lass? Yeh _have_ to decide now."

You don't even think. "No."

The merchant's eyes widen fractionally with surprise. "No…? Are… are yeh _sure_, lass?"

"Yeah. I'm staying here with Leon. We came this far together, we can escape or die together, too. I'm not leaving him now." _And I have faith that we will survive. God didn't let us make it all the way here just to die now._

He clears his throat again. "I… I hope you're really sure of that. I can't delay any longer, so I'll be goin' now… Yeh… yeh take care of yourself." The merchant reaches into a large pocket inside of his coat and pulls out a glittering, rose-pink necklace. "I wasn't lying when I said I carved it mehself. Used all them Spinels the stranger sold to me. Yeh can take it, as a parting gift. It was a pleasure to know yeh."

You smile, and let the necklace drop into your open palms with a soft clatter. "Thank you. This means a lot, and… it was great to know you, too. Good-bye, merchant." You'd so give him a hug if he didn't have deadly firearms and explosives strapped all over him.

He nods once, and slowly turns away. "Good-bye, Nicole." You blink in realization that that was the first time he had ever called you by name as the cloaked figure trudges down a dirt path, and disappears into the rocky caverns below.

You clumsily put the new jewelry on with tears in your eyes, and return your hopeful gaze to the platform above. Leon had better return soon.

* * *

_"Use this!"_

You hear a loud, metallic thud, and turn around. Ada stands far above you on a catwalk, arms outstretched as though she has just thrown something heavy. The Special Rocket Launcher. Since obviously Leon survived this far, the battle is virtually over, and you're sure to make it to the end of the game now… right?

A whoosh and burst of flame tell you that the rocket made a direct hit. The final battle is over. A gurgling, agonized roar rumbles from the industrial platform for several long moments before dwindling into a piercing silence. Another minute passes before you are startled by the sudden appearance of a helicopter that hovers next to the platform for a few moments, then pulls away. You watch it glide higher and farther away until it disappears among the thinning clouds. Stupid Ada, setting off the bombs and ditching poor Leon like that…

Speaking of Leon, he's coming down on the lift right now.

You jog up to the lift exit, not surprised but still worried to see frantic desperation in his wide brown eyes. He quickly staggers off of the lift and grabs your forearm, dragging you behind him at a run. "We have to get moving, this island's gonna blow any minute!"

"Are you sure Saddler's dead?" you spit. " 'Cuz _I'd_ sure love to kill him!" You sprint alongside Leon, following a dirt path into the caverns that the merchant passed through earlier. The rock walls begin to quake around you, unsettling dust and small piercing stones that shower the two of you. Leon's exhausted panting is louder than your own, and even with a view of only his back you can see evidence of the horrific struggle he's just been through. Blood seeps through his left pant leg, plastering the torn fabric to his skin, and more bloody gashes decorate his back and arms. Familiar clear slime and brownish fluids trickle off of his shirt, but tiny chunks of steaming flesh cling stubbornly to your comrade's back. Ugh. At least there are no more monsters after this…

The two of you burst into the dock area and Leon jumps down a ledge, holding back a shout of pain, and holds out his arms to catch you just as you land beside him, wincing at a stinging sensation in your ankles. He turns to the jet-ski and pulls out the adorable teddy-bear Jet-Ski Key. You keep all comments to yourself about the feminine trinket and quickly sit behind Leon, latching onto his waist as tightly as you can.

"Hold on, sweetheart!"

Tee-hee. He called you swee-

The jet-ski guns forward, giving you a nasty whiplash that you determinedly ignore. Leon immediately accelerates, steering left and right to avoid gated tunnels and rocks. You want to look around him to see what progress you're making, but are afraid that he might come too close to rocks and you could be injured… or lose a limb. So you lean into Leon's back to make it easier for him to continue driving quickly.

A low rumble grows louder and louder, and soon throbs against your eardrums as you try to block it out. Your heart pounds, and grit shaken from the rocky ceiling catches in your eyelashes and stings your eyes. Leon's back arches with the force of several wracking coughs that leave him gasping for air. Even though you suffer from the occasional thick cloud of dust, your friend endures worse.

Nothing out of the ordinary, and you hate it.

After a few more seconds, a loud blast behind you showers the two of you with rocky debris and water from behind, then a dull roar fills the tunnel. Leon doesn't look back, but you take a daring glance.

A wall of white, frothing water is charging towards you.

"Leon, not to alarm you or anything, but there's a big wave behind us!"

"I know; I've got this thing going as fast as I can! Just hang on!"

You squeeze his waist tighter and begin to pray as your friend leans to the left and right sporadically, occasionally launching the jet-ski off of stone ramps to avoid stalagmites that spire upwards from the tunnel floor. Cold mist soaks into your back and drips from your windswept hair as a constant reminder of the deadly swell of water only feet behind you.

Your arms and legs ache from holding onto Leon and the jet-ski with as much strength as you can muster, and the back of your neck still stings. You shut your eyes against the roar of the wave, rumble in the earth, and buzz of the jet-ski just as something bright glares behind your eyelids, and you snap them open again.

Warm light halos Leon's form, heralding your freedom.

Heralding the end.

The water beneath the jet-ski bubbles and ripples, and you can guess that only mere seconds remain on the invisible timer over your heads. Something cracks behind you, and the air suddenly becomes blisteringly hot. Leon guns the engine for all it's worth.

You launch into cool, refreshing ocean air…

and are thrown off of the jet-ski as flames billow and rage behind you and a moment later, you are drifting far under the salty waves of the ocean. Darn. Not even your iron grip could keep you attached to the jet-ski…

Looking up through swirls of hair, you can see the jet-ski bobbing on calm waves, and the tiny sun, dimmed and turned green by the ocean. Water that was thrust out of the tunnels by the explosion hits the surface like a waterfall, and countless ripples obscure everything. You can see Leon put up an arm to shield his face, and hear his muffled voice call out your name with alarm. He turns the jet-ski around and looks as a long, loud boom pounds against your eardrums and suddenly you are forced to dodge large stones and chunks of metal that have been thrown into the water. You have no air, it was all knocked out of you by the impact of hitting the water. Will you make it to the surface before…

Game over?

You kick your legs desperately and reach out with your arms. The surface inches ever closer. Your chest feels as though it's caving in on itself, and your lungs are throbbing, wanting to circulate air, but in vain.

With a spray of water you breach the surface, coughing and spitting up a moutful of salty water and inhaling fresh oxygen in long, grateful gulps. _Thank you, God…_

"Nicole!" Leon sounds so relieved when he calls out your name, seeing you. He slowly brings the jet-ski to you and pulls you up by your wrists. Frustrated as you are by your last-minute damsel-in-distress moment, you clamber onto the jet-ski, still glad to have survived. Leon looks you over for a moment, checking for injuries. "You okay?"

You nod vigorously. "Yeah. We both are, and it's over. All thanks to you, Leon!"

He smiles. "My mission's not over yet. I still have to get you home safe."

You wrap your arms very securely around Leon's waist, not taking any more chances of falling off your only way home. You look back.

A pile of rocks and rubble is all that remains of The Island. Cold metal juts harshly out of the tan, warm stone. Twisted towers and buildings lie like corpses atop cliffs and beaches. Some flaming buildings still stand, you can recognize the prison from here. Smoke blackens the sky above it for miles. You can't make out any bodies…

The Island is reduced to a blur as Leon guns the engine and glides over the tiny waves. The sun is very warm on your face, and the breeze from movement is welcoming. You turn back and watch Leon drive the jet-ski, as his muscular arms twist and turn accordingly. They are filthy and covered in terrible wounds that have yet to heal. You glance at what you can see of your own arms. There are scratches everywhere, and some dirt still hasn't been washed off. You don't want to imagine what your hair looks like.

But you're going home. No one will care about your appearance when they see you, they'll only be happy that you're alive.

You're alive.

What a wonderful privelege, to live another day. You squeeze Leon, grinning as your forearms press into his hardened abs and your cheek nuzzles his sticky back. Stinking, drying monster fluids clump on his shirt, but you couldn't care less. _It's over._

Leon glances back. "Whoa, you okay? What's this all about?"

You giggle, loudly and freely. "This is a small portion of my thanks to you for getting us out of that mess, and a spontaneous expression of how happy I am. There will probably be more later."

He snorts. "Oh. Thanks for the warning." A warm, calloused hand closes around your right wrist. "You were really brave, Nicole. I can't even begin to tell you how... incredible it was to see how strong you were in some of those horrific situations. I've only met one other kid about as amazing as you."

_Sherry Birkin. Whoa._ "Wow. Um... thanks." You pull your cheek away to rub the grime off of it and Leon's shirt, when his hand shakes your right arm. "What's up?"

"You're going to have to let up on your expression of gratitude, Nicole. I can't drive with you pulling me away from the handles."

"Oh! Sorry." You reluctantly loosen your hold on the most adorable government agent alive, and sit back a little. The air is cool and fresh, and you inhale deeply. "Great weather today."

Leon chuckles. "Oh, yeah. Perfect for barely escaping from a cultist society with your life." For a moment, only the buzz of the jet-ski engine is heard. Then Leon sighs, a lighter, relieved sigh that sends your heart rolling in your chest. "Well, it _is_ nice out."

A thought crosses your mind. Well, rather, a question. You rest your cheek against Leon's warm back as you ask, "So, uh, Leon, have you ever heard of a game called Resident Evil 4?"

He glances at you with a short laugh. "Sorry. I don't play videogames."

You laugh, too. "I figured you say that. You don't look like the gaming type."

"Why do you ask?"

You smile. "Just curious."

He smiles. "C'mon, let's go home. Who knows? Maybe I'll get to try it someday."

He floors it again, causing the jet-ski to rear back, and turns straight into the setting sun. You quietly laugh to yourself.

"Leon… my friend Leon. You already have."

Fin


	22. Epilogue: The Way Home

Author's Note: I know that this isn't the bonus chapter that I promised you, that is still under construction and I wanted to stick this before the bonus chapter because this is more in chronological order. So please don't crucify me, your bonus chapter is coming! In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this cute epilogue. Thank you for reading and reviewing, everyone! I read all of them!

* * *

You shiver into Leon's back. Now that the sun is gone, it's much colder over the calm ocean. You've been traveling on the jet-ski for hours, fighting against sleep. It's difficult for both of you - the last time you got any sleep was in your little prison cell on the Island, but Leon…. Leon mustn't have slept much at all since you entered Salazar's Castle. And now he's driving the jet-ski, still… 

"Leon." Your own voice draws you from a slumber you weren't aware of. He picks up his head at your call.

"Yeah?" His voice is strained.

"We need to stop."

He sighs. "I know. But I don't see any signs of civilization anywhere on the mainland. As long as we're still in the backwoods of Spain, I'm not stopping. There could still be Plaga-infested villagers running around."

You lift your head from against his back. "Leon, we've been traveling for hours, and the village area isn't _that_big. I'm sure that we're way out of Plaga territory by now. Just pull over so we can get some sleep before you pass out."

Leon debates with your reasoning in his mind for a long moment before he makes a sharp turn to the right. The jet-ski stutters for an instant before gunning forward again, towards a long, flat beach. Leon slows the vehicle as you approach land, and you are startled by the jolt and soft grinding noise when the bottom of the jet-ski slides along the sand. Leon kills the engine, and the headlights snap off as the vessel drifts towards the shore. The darkness is astoundingly thick, and you involuntarily cling to Leon, who pats your forearm with a warm hand.

"It's okay, I've got a flashlight. Just… please let me get up so I can get this thing on the beach." Letting go of Leon, you throw your legs over the side and gasp when they plunge into the frigid water. You wade to the front of the jet-ski, and join Leon in pulling the vehicle out of the water. It's hard work for you both in your fatigue, and when the jet-ski is fully beached Leon steps away and falls onto the sand with a loud sigh. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you can just barely see the smile on his lips.

"This feels _incredible_," he murmurs. "It's almost as good as a bed."

You sit down next to him, taking off your shoes for the first time in days and digging your bare feet into the chilled sand. The cool sensation is unbelievably soothing. "Ugh, don't even _remind_ me of sleeping in my own bed… I think the first thing I'll do when I get home is take a long, hot shower for about two hours and then just go to bed for the next week."

Leon closes his eyes. "Sounds like a good idea…" You both begin to drift off to sleep, listening to the quiet rolling of the waves. The calming sound transports your mind's eye to vacations at the beach years ago with your family, and your heart throbs with longing to see them again. Many minutes pass before a loud beeping awakens both of you. Your head snaps up, the dream fades from your mind, and Leon bolts upright. He reaches for the transmitter on his right hip and presses a button. The illumination of the screen in the absolute darkness momentarily blinds you both. Leon squints at Ingrid Hunnigan's image on the screen.

"Hunnigan, is that you?"

She smiles. "Finally, the line's jack-free."

Leon smirks back. "Hey, Hunnigan, no glasses…"

She shakes her head. "Forget the glasses. What's the status of the mission?"

"I've rescued the subject. We're returning home." You lean over behind Leon and wave at the screen.

Hunnigan grins. "You did it, Leon!"

He chuckles. "Thanks. …You know, you're kinda cute without those glasses. Gimme your number when I get back."

She rolls her eyes, but the smile remains. "May I remind you that you're still on duty?"

Leon sighs. "Story of my life…"

Hunnigan frowns. "Leon, you look terrible. What's the condition of you and the subject?"

He runs one hand through his hair, and a cascade of sand filters out. "Alive… and _very _tired."

You scoot closer to Leon to get within speaking range of the transmitter. "Is anything coming to rescue us?"

Hunnigan glances downward, as if reading something. "We have several aircrafts searching for you over Spain. If you can give me some sort of fix on your location, you could be on your way home in less than an hour."

You grin and squeal excitedly. Leon taps a few buttons on the transmitter, and a red light blinks on and off on the top right corner. "That good enough?"

Hunnigan glances away again. "Yes. I've picked up the signal from your transmitter. All four helicopters will know your location in about five seconds." She smiles up at Leon. "You're on your way home."

"Don't forget, I want your number."

You roll your eyes, and Hunnigan sighs. "Leon, are you serious?"

He smirks. "Y'know what? I am."

_Curses! …Oh, wait. Ashley doesn't exist._

Hunnigan shakes her head with a smile. "All right, we can do lunch together when you return, but that's strictly a celebration of your success, okay, Leon?"

He shrugs. "Guess I can settle."

"I'll see you soon, Leon."

"Later, Hunnigan." The transmitter goes black, save for the blinking light, and suddenly you have a bright violet square smack in the middle of your vision. _Annoying…_

Leon gets up. "Well, I guess I'll make a fire. It's cold out, and it'll help them see us."

You stand up slowly and stretch out your legs, popping your knees. "Do you always do that?"

He looks at you. "Do what?"

"Flirt with your mission support."

Leon laughs. "Hunnigan's just special. She needs loosening up. She's too into her job." He takes out a flashlight and begins wandering around the beach in search of driftwood. You grope around in the dark for still, twisted objects for about a minute before you realize you still really can't see anything. You wander back to the jet-ski and wait.

Leon eventually returns with thick, sandy driftwood spilling from his curled arms. You pick up after him and help to set it up in a neat pile. Then you sit back. "Do you have a lighter?"

He picks through different pouches on his complicated belt for a moment. "Yeah… right here." It's small and shiny. "Stick some of that dry seaweed under there." You shove a bundle of withered seaweed underneath the haphazard pile of driftwood. Leon flicks his thumb, and the tiny flame attracts your gaze as he holds it to the seaweed and it catches fire. Within a minute, a strong pyre burns in front of you. Both of you stare at it sleepily for a long while.

Torches and raspy Spanish whispering surround you.

"_Alli esta!_"

Flaming boulders explode in front of you.

"_Mataloooo!_"

Glowing red eyes stare as fiery arrows hurtle towards you.

"_Muere, muere, muere…_"

Crackling batons sizzle behind you.

"_Te voy a matar!_"

Saddler holds out his hand with an evil grin.

"_Come to me-_"

You curl your arms over your head and squeeze your eyes shut with a loud whimper, willing the nightmarish memories to disappear. You are vaguely aware of Leon calling you.

"Nicole! Calm down. You're okay…" He is beside you, putting a strong arm around your shoulders. "I'm right here, it's all over, _nothing_ is going to hurt you anymore." His tone is gentle, his voice, quiet. "You're _safe_."

You pick up your head and stare at the fire, trying to see it as only fire, and not the glaring mass of nightmares that were forced into your mind. Your gaze turns to Leon. "I'm… sorry… for freaking out."

He shakes his head, completely sympathetic. "No, no, don't worry about it. I understand. This… can bring back a lot of nightmares." Leon's sparkling blue eyes reflect the firelight, and you wonder what horrific memories the flickering flames may have conjured in _his_ mind. He squeezes you in a one-armed hug for a moment. "But you're all right. And we're going _home_."

The security of his embrace and realization of your safety overwhelms you. You turn your head to Leon and bury your face in the muscular curve between his neck and right shoulder. You enfold his torso in a genuinely grateful embrace. "We _are _going home," you quietly repeat. "…It's _all over_." You take a moment to indulge in the faint scent of cologne on his shirt before you sit back a little and let go. "Thanks to you," you add. "All thanks to you." You sniffle, tears gathering in your eyes. Leon smiles. You glance away and back at him, returning the smile with a grin. "Really, Leon, you're _amazing_. The way you led us through every trial and fought off monsters, together and alone… I will _never _be able to thank you enough. Or tell you just how awesome you are."

Leon shakes his head and turns to the fire, still wearing a grateful smile. "I wouldn't have made it without you to keep my sanity in check."

Your gaze also returns to the snapping flames, and you blink the tears away. "Well, it's not like I was calm and collected through the whole thing. You have no idea… to be alone with Saddler…" You shudder.

"Yeah, well, getting transmissions from an angry Spanish midget every fifteen minutes was no picnic in itself," Leon retorts, gazing at the burning wood with a disturbed expression. "Every time he'd start shouting, I was sure his squeaky voice was going to blow out the speakers. I'll never think midget jokes are funny again."

You grin. "See? You are so… _awesome_. The coolest." A twisted piece of driftwood snaps in two, and glowing ashes spiral upwards into the black, cool sky.

Leon chuckles and ruffles your hair, and you giggle again. His arm falls away to support him in the sand. Stars twinkle brightly above - so beautiful now that you have the chance to look at them. The crackling of the fire and rolling of the waves create a soothing lullaby combined with the comforting light and heat. Yet most comforting is the presence of Leon beside you, sitting close to you, his right knee leaning against your left. You close your eyes and thank God for this wonderful, peaceful moment. For Leon. For everything.

The roar of helicopters thunders in the distance.


	23. Bonus Chapter Part 1: Las Alcantarillas

Author's Note: Here is part one of your anticipated Bonus Chapter! I realized early on that this is going to be huge, since Leon has to survive many deadly detours while searching for Ashley after the first trap. Hence this whole "chapter" will be divided into parts. So Nicole's got a lot to go through... Will she regret her decision? You'll have to see!

Part 1 covers the sewers/Novistadors and brief Illuminados' ritual. (Las Alcantarillas means The Sewers.)

Thanks to everyone who sends me such nice reviews! Constructive criticism is also accepted and encouraged.

A big thank-you also to everyone who gives me credit for inspiring their RE4 self-inserts! You're so awesome! (never thought I'd be an inspiration to anyone here, that's cool.)

Okay, okay! Read on!

* * *

As Leon negotiates with the merchant in the Observation Hall, you ponder your fate. Just up ahead is the first trap set for Ashley. Well, in this case, you. You know it's coming. You have the option of getting caught and waiting there for hours before Leon comes to rescue you. If you avoid the trap, what happens…? You recall the sewers, definitely, with the Novistadors… stinky and scary. There's the gatling-gun guy… very dangerous, especially since you're not one for dodge-rolling. The hedge-maze… waiting in that trap sounds pretty good right now. 

But if you get caught, not only will you have nothing to do but stand there for a while, afterwards you'll have to face Illuminados and possessed suits of armor in the dark, on your own, in a freaky dungeon. There's no guarantee that you'll even _live _through that, much less solve that stupid puzzle.

Besides, if you choose to avoid the obvious trap, you'll be with Leon. He won't let you get killed, and you can help him through the horrors that he would otherwise have to face alone. Plus, you'd run into Ada, and that should be interesting.

Invisible bugs and dog-infested hedges it is. You follow Leon into the hallway, your heart rising into your throat and racing madly.

Suddenly, your throat dries up again, and your diaphragm goes crazy. You cough, doubling over as you walk, and aren't surprised when blood splashes onto your palm. You still hate that.

Leon puts a hand on your shoulder. "Nicole, are you okay?"

You stop abruptly, wiping the rest of the warm blood on your hand and returning your breathing to normal. With a slight quiver in your voice, you respond, "Yeah. I'm all right. Just a bit of a- what?"

Leon had grabbed your hand and now turns it in his palms, brow furrowing with concern. His eyes narrow at the blood spattered and smeared on your skin. "…Your Plaga is developing quite nicely, I see."

You gently pull your hand from his grasp. "It's no big deal, we'll find a cure-"

"No big deal?" Leon's tone is dark. "You know what you're talking about - a large parasite growing inside of you that will eventually control your body! This isn't something we can afford to ignore!"

"I'm not saying we should ignore it," you retort, your voice rising to a shout to match his own, "I just don't want you worrying about me all the time, Leon! My condition isn't that different from yours, I remember you stifling a few coughs the other night."

Leon stands his ground, his gaze not breaking away from yours. But his voice is softer. "I recall that you were infected before myself, and seeing as you are the priority of this mission I can't allow signs of the parasite's evolution to go unnoticed. Luis mentioned a drug that will inhibit the growth of our Plagas. I need to find that as soon as possible and administer it to you immediately, and then we'll see about getting rid of these Illuminados and getting out of here. But until then _this_," he nods at your dripping palm, "is a big deal."

Your comrade turns to the wooden door nearby that will lead to the sewers, and you sigh, muttering "Mountains out of molehills." An ominous wriggle in your abdomen suddenly changes your mind.

As soon as Leon pushes open the thick wooden door that magically leads to a sewer area, a warm, sour stench slams into your nostrils. You take an appalled step back, gagging. Leon coughs once, but continues walking along the moist stone path. You squeeze your nose shut with one hand and follow him, eyes watering. "Leon… this really stinks… how can you keep going like that?"

He glances back with watery eyes. "It's all mind over matter, really. Though a bit of government training helps, too."

"Cheater." You climb down a ladder after Leon and slog through clear, watery slush in the sewer that coats your shoes and feels lukewarm. You swallow. "This… is… so… _gross_…."

Leon glances back with sympathetic blue eyes. "Nicole, you could-"

_Crash._ Metallic clattering, a splash, and a series of scrambling claws on stone startle both of you. Leon raises his riot-gun towards the ceiling, then all around, and the sound quickly scrapes closer to you, just above your heads. Yet as suddenly as it came, the noise disappears, leaving only a steady drip and the sound of your splashing feet. You try to regulate your heartbeat again; you'd forgotten about that stab at frightening gamers.

Your friend continues to look around with the barrel of the riot-gun, rigid in front of you. "Hey… you okay?"

You nod. "Whatever that was, it didn't come after us. We can keep going." He agrees and continues forward with renewed caution. Your heart begins to race… Novistadors, corpses, and icky sewer water awaits you in this flooded dungeon. Not cool.

You stay close behind Leon as he makes his way, step by cautious step, to the area where the crash had occurred. Leon investigates a nearby narrow, flooded hallway while you stand at its entrance, nervously shifting your weight from one foot to the other. You glance at the corner further down the corridor that leads to the main dungeon.

Something nearby is obliterated with a loud, splintering crack. You cover your mouth with your hand and look back at Leon.

You want to kick yourself for being so skittish; nothing is being attacked, except for a wooden box that your friend just broke open. You resume breathing normally through your mouth and wait for Leon to return.

A short buzz vibrates within your ears for a split second. You whirl around to see a faint shimmer manifest itself into a large, horrifyingly ugly insect whose staring eyes glow crimson. The thing clicks its mandibles, Leon raises his shotgun with a cry, and before you can react, the Novistador jumps up and kicks you in the stomach with rock-hard, clawed feet. You are thrown several feet back, and the air is knocked clean out of you. You smack the back of your head off of the tiled floor, sliding in acrid slime that soaks your shirt and pants and saturates your hair. Your handgun collides with stone somewhere close by. For one frightening moment, your vision blacks out.

As you regain visibility, Leon fires at a giant walking insect that soon dies and howls loudly as it crumples and disintegrates. Your friend rushes to you and helps you up, and you put a hand to your aching head. You aren't sure why you were on the floor in the first place. Where is your handgun?

Leon is staring at you with increasing worry as you look confused and wince due to severe stomach pain. "Nicole? Are you all right? You hit your head. Does it hurt?" He gently presses his hand to the back of your head and feels for a wound.

You nod. "Pretty bad. My stomach hurts, too. What just happened?" You smile sadly. "I don't know why I can't remember. Are we in the dungeon?"

Leon frowns. "Yeah, and a giant bug kicked you and you hit the back of your head hard on the floor. You don't remember any of that?" You think for a moment, then shake your head. You're really puzzled. Leon exhales loudly. "You probably have a concussion. If we're lucky, your headache will go away and you should be fine. I don't think any extensive damage was done. But the amnesia's a sure sign of a concussion. You aren't passing out on me, so that's good. Can you walk?"

You take a few steady steps, then notice your neglected handgun a few feet away and retrieve it, grimacing at the disgusting slime that coats one side. Pain radiates from your abdomen with every move that you make. "Yeah, I'm fine. My head already doesn't hurt as much. Can't say the same for my stomach, though."

Leon sighs. "All right. That's great. Now we need to get out of here, so I guess we'd better keep moving. You tell me if you feel anything unusual, okay? Dizziness, nausea… anything."

You smile at Leon's concern for you. "Got it. Let's go." It's difficult to follow Leon with the confidence you try to display - your head's pounding, the pain in your stomach is just starting to go away, and rancid, warm slush in your hair glues it to the back of your neck. Gross. Painful and gross.

The two of you reach a large pit with a ladder on two sides, the opposite side leading deeper into the sewers. The pit is flooded with about a foot of sour water… or whatever it is. Leon cautiously approaches the rusted ladder, staring into the pit. You scan the water and stone walls for any unnatural bending of light, until a thought strikes you just as Leon is about to descend the ladder.

"Do you have an infrared scope?"

You instantly want to swallow your words. That won't be available to Leon until he reaches the Island! And why would a teenage schoolgirl know anything about the benefits of an infrared scope for a rifle when facing a giant insect she had forgotten about? You'd better come up with something to get this off of Leon's mind before he assumes anything.

Your friend looks back at you. "An infrared scope? For my rifle? What good would that do?"

He's taking you seriously… "You… might need it… to see the freaky bugs that are invisible." Wow, this is turning out better than you thought.

"You remember that they can camouflage themselves?"

_What am I supposed to say to that?_ "…Yeah, but I don't remember how it knocked me out, though."

"Huh. An infrared scope would be great, but I don't have one. We'll just have to stay alert." Leon gazes into the pit again, and apparently you're in the clear. He's more concerned with the immediate situation of surviving in a creepy sewer with freakish insects than your conversation. Thank goodness.

A ripple expands silently in the water as Leon climbs down. You raise your handgun, which is now dry, and stare at the dark corner from whence it originated.

_I'll cover you. Hopefully I won't shoot you!_

Leon's movement upsets the relatively smooth water as he drops from the ladder, and looks up at you inquisitively. "Nicole, what-"

_Crack._

You fire once at a wavering brick in the back of the pit, and a shriek assaults your eardrums as a Novistador shimmers into view, blood gushing from a wound between its protruding ribs. A second insect, closer to Leon, reveals itself and lunges at him. You continue to fire at the Novistador that you had seen and Leon unloads his shotgun on his attacker. Your target camouflages itself and jumps out of the water, and its movement is heard for a moment as its exoskeleton scrapes against the wall. The other Novistador is killed. Your enemy has now completely disappeared.

Leon glances back at you, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and worry. "Nicole, did you kill it?" You look around nervously, keeping your gun raised. "Did you kill that other monster?"

"N-_no_-"

The government agent fires over your head and something slams heavily onto the damp floor behind you. Writhing wildly, its legs scrambling like any helpless insect, the upturned Novistador struggles to right itself and retain its life. It accomplishes neither, and disintegrates rapidly after succumbing to almost a dozen bullet wounds.

You stare at the empty space for a long moment as you clumsily reload your handgun. As you expected, a tiny Green Eye sparkles from beneath the layer of water and slime. Reluctantly, you pluck it from the floor, shake it off, and jam it into your pocket. Leon will get a Butterfly Lamp that this would fit nicely into.

You rejoin your friend and follow him out of the area, surprised to notice that during the attack, your headache had faded away.

* * *

A haunting, buzzing shriek echoes throughout the sewer as the final corpse of a horde of Novistadors instantaneously rots, and you rush over to Leon, who is staggering on his feet. The barrel of your handgun is still warm from its recent use, you discover, as it brushes against your arm as you run. You slip in the mixture of slime and water on the floor, but right yourself to avoid crashing into the government agent. He is holding one hand over his face, hissing in pain between gritted teeth. 

_Something is wrong, something is wrong…_

"Leon? Let me see what the bug did, Leon. So I can help you." You reach up to move his hand. "Move your hand, so I can fix whatever happened." Blood trickles from between his parted fingers.

"D---it!_ Argh!_" As you lower his hand, Leon cries out again, and you see the full extent of a Novistador's powerful attack. The left side of his face is marred with bleeding pockmarks that are as small as droplets of rain, yet are expanding slowly along the edges and eating away at his skin. Just above Leon's left eye, around his nose, and his cheek and upper lip are all marked with the dilating wounds. Around them, you notice a milky liquid that the damage seems to stem from.

_Acid. A Novistador vomited acid on him!_ Footage of Leon's horrific death by the insects' acid attack flashes in your mind. You mentally shake it away and pull out a vial of Green and Red Herbs from the attaché case. You move quickly to sprinkle the crushed medicinal plants onto every tiny wound, smearing them with two fingertips into the bleeding wounds. Leon mutters a string of curses and clenches a fist around his Riot-gun. After a few seconds, the acid stops sputtering, and Leon wipes away the plant residue, his blue eyes dark.

You gently touch his flawless cheek. "Are you all right? I shouldn't have let it do that, Leon. I should have shot it away from you."

His eyes flicker to yours, and Leon's gaze softens. He lowers your hand, but continues to hold it. "I'm fine, don't worry about it. And don't blame yourself. You had your own giant pests to kill. Actually, you should be happy that you saved my face from being eaten away! Why aren't you?"

You smile sadly. "Because you got hurt, duh. I'm guessing that acid didn't exactly tickle."

Leon returns the smile, giving your hand a squeeze before letting you go and reloading his Riot-gun. "Stung like a b----, yeah. But that's in the past now. We need to keep moving and get out of here."

You nod, replenishing ammo in your own weapon and taking a moment to fix your hair somewhat.

"I think the room to drain the sewer water is over there." Leon follows your lead down a hallway and around a few corners. After killing two more Novistadors, you enter a small control room with wooden boxes, a red chest, and a flickering light fixture overhead. The fluorescent light glares harshly off of the water flooding a pit outside.

"You go ahead and get what's in the boxes," Leon says as he hands you his knife. "I'll take care of draining the water." You slash twice at each crate and store away the Shotgun Shells and Green Herb, then pry open the gilded chest.

"Wow, Leon!" you gasp. "A beautiful Butterfly Lamp's in here!" He glances at it before returning to his task of forcing the rusted wheel to turn.

"Yeah… that'll get us some… good money from the… merchant." Leon grunts as he grips the metal wheel again and pulls it clockwise, and it squeals loudly as rust flakes off with the reluctant motion. "Is it in good shape?"

"Some jewels are missing, but I think that's what the insects keep dropping. The green one fits nicely." You pop the Green Eye into a slot and can see the treasure's value rising in your mind. The image disappears when a loud gurgle rumbles underneath of you, and you look outside of the barred window to watch the rancid sewer water drain away… mostly. You'll still have to wade through about two feet of it (in your dead lady shoes! Too gross!).

Leon rubs his palms together soothingly, and you see blisters and small red marks underneath his fingers from the effort needed to turn the wheel. He sighs as he places the newfound items in the attaché case. "The controls are so dated, and in terrible shape. Those Salazars don't take care of their stuff; I wouldn't be surprised if no one's been down here in years."

"That dead guy out there's pretty new," you comment, recalling the emaciated and partially devoured corpse in one of the prison cells. "But I bet he was more of a snack for the bugs than a maintenance worker."

Leon smirks. "The Salazars don't seem to like employees who goof off. I wonder if the paychecks were even worth working for them in this hellhole."

You giggle. "Well, imagine being a family member! That had to be even worse. I'm sure getting locked out at night was no fun, because the spare key wasn't just going to be under a doormat. Little Ramon would have had to go on a side quest to get back in!"

Leon laughs, patting your shoulder, and walks past you to kick open the door. As you leave, the two of you are ambushed by a relentless group of Novistadors that drop down out of a hole in the ceiling. The battle is difficult, but not impossible to win. Leon amazes you by executing a spinning back kick on one giant insect that was about to pounce on him, which cracks the assailant's ribcage, and then shooting its head clean off with a shotgun blast.

Seeing as that was the last Novistador for now, you take a moment to applaud his awesomeness before reloading and continuing through the sewers. Leon looks at you and smiles affectionately. "Nothing ever gets you down, huh? Even in a terrible place like this, you can cheer up."

You shrug one shoulder. It helps that you know what's coming, and you're a big Leon fangirl. If it wasn't for that, you'd be just as scared and useless as Ashley. But not unwilling to help.

"I'm still scared out of my mind," you reply. "…Well, not as scared as I used to be, considering we made it this far, and you're better equipped than before. But I know we'll get through this - faith in God's protection and all that. After all, He sent you. And He hasn't let you die, even against impossible odds. Why should I be depressed, then?"

He moves to ruffle your hair, but stops when he notices that it's covered with grime and Novistador goo. "C'mon, let's get out of this dungeon."

The male corpse seems to smell even more repugnant than a few minutes before. You hate walking past him… seeing his torn jugular and bulging, unseeing eyes is always nauseating. Leon jumps into the next pit and you follow, on the lookout for the next visible shimmer in the air.

After taking out a few more Novistadors, for a moment all is silent, until you hear a muffled, metallic whirring. Leon notices the sound just as he breaks open a pair of barrels, and glances around. "Sounds like it's coming from the next room, where we have to go. Must be a machine. Just stay behind me, okay?"

You nod. _The swinging axes are coming up… My timing might not be good enough, this could kill me… Why are they even down here?_

As he kicks open the door, Leon wonders the same thing. "What's a swinging death trap doing in a hybrid sewer and dungeon? Who designed this castle?" He looks ahead at the obstacle. "Looks like there's one axe, then a jump with one axe, then a pair." Leon glances back at you. "You need to make it past this. Do you think you can?"

You swallow. "I don't have high hopes, but if I follow right behind you, I could make it. I think."

Leon takes your upper arm in his left hand, pulling you to his side. "You can do this if you stay right beside me. Move when I move, jump when I jump. I won't let go of you until we're at the other side. Okay?"

"Y-yeah."

_Whoosh…whoosh…_

Leon stands two feet away from the first axe. You feel the air stir in front of you, and can see your wide-eyed reflection in the gleaming metal as it passes in front of you.

_Whoosh… whoosh…_

"You ready?" Leon grips your arm.

"Whenever you are!"

_Whoosh…_

"Let's go!" He pulls you forward, and you force your eyes downward to concentrate on moving your feet to match his steps instead of watching the deadly blade that just begins to arc towards you. Abruptly, Leon stops, and you stop behind him.

_Whoosh…_

The first axe cuts through the air behind you. Ahead of you is the jump.

Leon gives your shoulder a gentle shake. "One down. Good job. Now you need to jump when I do, all right? When I say jump, you jump. And move forward as you do it. It's only three or four feet, you can make it."

You meet his eyes. "Yeah, I can… I think I can."

A smile lifts the corner of his mouth. "Good, good. Don't let any negative thoughts about this trap convince you otherwise, or we'll never get out of here. Now, are you ready? We're going to do it. We're going to go when I say."

You swallow. "Ready…"

Leon grips your arm tighter again, pressing you against his side. _Ooh, his muscles…!_ You clear your mind, and cast your eyes downward to watch his feet.

_Whoosh…_

"Jump!" You take a step towards the edge of the platform, almost directly beside Leon. The axe approaches the wall to your left as Leon pushes off, then you, and you touch down on the other side not a moment after him. Your momentum carries your torso forward, and Leon instantly pulls you back to him as the blades in front of you pass by each other, and in front of you.

Your eyes widen. "Th-thanks, Leon…"

He loosens his grip on you slightly. "Didn't want to lose you. …Okay. One more."

"Technically, two more."

"Having a negative mindset isn't going to keep us alive."

"I know. I'm just saying. Two more swinging death traps to go." You smile. "I'm plenty positive." _Oh, yeah, right. I can't believe we have to pass two fast-moving axes! I should have gotten caught in those metal rings when I had the chance…_

Leon looks at the shining blades ahead. "All right, then. Let's get past this. We'll get closer…" you walk with him to about a foot away from the two blades, "and go when I give the word. Ready?"

You nod, and the axe blades swing past each other, each moving towards a wall, revealing the staircase and exit ahead. Your heart pounds, and your veins pulse with adrenaline triggered by fear and excitement.

_Whoosh…_

"Now!" On Leon's cue, you sprint forward with a burst of energy, pushing away from your friend and rushing past both axes. As you try to slow down, you trip on the stone steps ahead. Consequently, your face is planted into the gritty stone tiles. Leon slows behind you, and you hear him laugh quietly as you brush off your face and turn around, still sprawled on the stairs.

"A little eager to get away from Salazar's pointy toys, Nicole?"

"Don't make fun of me, you got me all worked up. Besides, I'm the victim in this whole hostage situation. Be nice!"

He holds out his hand, and you let him help you to your feet. "You know I'm messing with you. If Salazar's not around, I have to pick on _someone_."

"Oh yeah, you're such a bully, Leon." You take the opportunity to squeeze his hand. "Thanks for helping me. And for not treating me like some helpless little girl."

Leon smirks. "Nicole, the _last_ thing you are is helpless. For crying out loud, you're armed and set to take on anything!"

"Correction," you retort and walk up the stairs, "I'm armed and scared out of my mind." You pick up a random Velvet Blue. "It's totally different."

Leon chuckles. "Come on. Let's see what's behind that door."

You follow him and shudder as you walk in on a disturbing Illuminados ritual. About ten zealots have congregated around a crimson-robed leader, whose white palms are raised to the ceiling in prayer. The monks are chanting "To die is to live," and are hunched over in a half-bow. The focus of their ritual seems to be a slab of fresh meat, impaled with a polished sword decorated with the Illuminados' insignia, which sits on a stone alter draped with white cloth. Roaring torches around the altar reflect golden light brilliantly off of the meat's red juices. You hope that the flesh was at least from an _animal_ sacrifice.

Leon grimaces at the sickening cult. "We need to get down there," he whispers in your ear, "but they're going to be a problem. I need you to toss a grenade at them. Aim for the center of the group, and the blast should get all of the monks."

You nod, and detach a grenade from one of your belt loops. You pull the pin and hold down a small button on the explosive which will delay detonation, and find the center of the cult congregation. You arc your arm and throw the device, and every black-robed zealot is obliterated by the resulting blast. As their bodies disintegrate, the crimson leader flees to the other end of the hall, bleeding profusely from a gaping hole on his back. Leon jumps down to finish him off. "Stay up there! I'll open that gate for you in a minute!"

You glance to your right, and see the aforementioned metal gate blocking off the rest of the upper floor. You glance to your left, and see a ladder. Apparently Leon didn't notice it. You climb down and pull out your handgun as he fires at the Illuminado with the TMP.

_It's just a stronger zealot, I can help. He's overprotective sometimes._

The monk's head bursts apart, and a wormlike Plaga wriggles out of the neck in a gory mess. Its thin legs flail uselessly as the creature opens its expansive mouth and stretches towards Leon, who is only within five feet of the parasite. With a screech, it arcs above his head and descends rapidly.

You shoot it in the side of its fleshy head, from twenty feet away. The Plaga wails, bleeding, and retreats to its cadaverous vessel. Leon looks at you incredulously.

"I thought I told you to stay on that platform! But I can't say that wasn't a h--- of a good shot."

"It wanted to bite your head off! What did you think I was going to do? Stand up there and cry about it?" You catch up to him and shoot at the Plaga alongside Leon. "I'm not the average damsel in distress, y'know."

Leon smirks. "Heh, far from it." With a spray of brown fluids and blood, the wormlike Plaga shrieks and slithers back into the corpse of the zealot leader, which crumples to the stone floor. A motionless mandible protrudes from the bleeding laceration on the monk's neck, and you look away as you reload, disgusted. The body disintegrates.

After collecting treasure and unlocking the rest of the room, you and Leon approach the nearby merchant. Valuables are sold, weapons are upgraded, and two First-Aid Sprays are purchased. You wave to the weapons dealer later as you follow Leon through a red metal door.

* * *

Additional Author's Note: All right you guys, I'm checking up on my new chapter a few hours after posting, and - almost 30 hits, but no reviews??? How am I supposed to know what my precious readers are thinking? I would probe into your minds if I could, seriously, but this is what the Submit Review option is for. Right here, below the end of the chapter? Yes, that. At the bottom left. Go ahead, it needn't be long or grammatically correct, just comprehensible and a statement of your thoughts. 

Much appreciated!


	24. Bonus Chapter Part 2: Surviving

**Author's Note:** I hope everyone had a very wonderful Christmas! Season's greetings aside, I'm sorry that you had to wait forever for this part of the chapter (over three weeks!). School's been terrible with the workload, and midterms and all sorts of tests are coming up.

But anyway, there are some moments in this chapter that I'm really fond of, and I hope you like them, too. I won't point them out for obvious reasons, but I think you'll enjoy them anyway. The bonus chapter is almost done! One more segment should do it.

After I finish Nicole's story, I'm not sure what I'll do. I have some ideas for fanfictions floating around, but I doubt I'll ever make anything of them. If you're interested, I have another selfinsert already in production. It's a Separate Ways story that involves my brother (another gift story, you know, like this one), and I'd like to know if you readers would want to read anything like that. There really wouldn't be any "fan" moments, it's just another "what if RE4 was real, and a regular kid was caught up in it" kind of story. My brother's not a big fan of Ada, anyway...

I'd appreciate it if you gave me some feedback about the Separate Ways story, either in a review or at my forum. This will help me decide what to do next that will best serve my precious readers. Speaking of whom, thank you all for almost 10,000 hits and 60 reviews! I love you guys, and I read every review.

Okay, okay, enough of my rambling! Enjoy the chapter!

P.S. I finally figured out how to put in accents and all that for Spanish text. I'm SO lame, but I'm happy.

* * *

"_¡Allí está!_" Another crimson-robed leader thrusts an index finger in your direction as you and Leon enter the large, two-story room. A valuable item gleams from the center of his robes, but that barely distracts you from the band of zealots' leering stare. 

Figures you'd only get to walk through two nice rooms before you run into chaos like this.

Leon grabs your hand and runs as several monks on a platform raise crossbows with fire-tipped arrows. Two other Illuminados, stationed below with you, rush towards Leon with spiked flails. The only means of escape is a green door ahead.

One Illuminado blocks your path while the other can be heard whispering behind you. As Leon fires at his attacker with his new Red 9, you whirl around to face a chanting monk who pulls back his flail to strike you. You bring up your handgun and pull the trigger when the red dot gleams off of the back of his open mouth. The wall behind him is spattered with blood as his skull breaks open with a loud crack, and the monk crumples, red eyes rolling to the back of his head.

Leon subdues his opponent only an instant later, and looks back at your dead foe. "Good job! Now let's go!" An arrow narrowly misses piercing his right arm, and another flies past your shoulder. Leon grips your hand again and leads you down one set of stairs, around a turn, and up another to get to the door. You feel terribly guilty - Leon by himself would have just leapt through the small window behind you and gone through the door already, away from the zealots with crossbows. But because you are with him, not waiting in the trap, he was in danger a few moments longer to accommodate for your lack of agility.

Your friend kicks open the door and once again you are in a carpeted, beautifully decorated room.

"_Muerte… muerte… muerte… muerte…._" The chanting of a sole Illuminado can be heard nearby, the only sound in the area other than the muffled thunks of arrows hitting the wall behind you. Leon approaches a polished wooden dresser to relieve it of its valuable contents, but you tiptoe to the bottom of the staircase just until the monk dips its pale head towards you and calls out.

"_¡La chica¡Necesitamos la chica!_" ("The girl! We need the girl!")

Huh. That's a new one. He rushes down the stairs at you, reaching out with white hands to capture you the instant you're within arm's reach. You raise your handgun, but bullets fly above your head and embed themselves within the monk's chest before you can fire. The zealot tumbles down the stairs, crashing into your feet, a broken and bloody mess. You glare back at Leon, who is reloading the Red 9.

"I could've taken him! I was just about to shoot!"

The blond agent shrugs. "Wasn't going to ta-"

A gurgled wheeze sounds from the fallen Illuminado just before cold fingers wrap around your ankles and the zealot pulls you to the floor. You kick at him, unbalancing the monk as he tries to keep a grip on your flailing legs.

"_¡Morir es vivir…¡Necesitamos la chica…!_" The Illuminado claws at your legs as he tries to stand, blood from his torn chest spilling onto your skin. Another loud crack sounds, booming against your eardrums, and your attacker slumps to the floor. His smooth forehead slides onto your right calf, and you kick the body away, shuddering.

"S-stupid things don't care about invading your personal bubble, that's for sure…"

Leon helps you up. "I just can't believe he tried to capture you _before_ standing up."

"Careless retard."

The corpse disintegrates into a bloody stain in the otherwise spotless carpet, and you follow Leon up the stairs. The government agent kicks open another green door and emerges onto a carpeted walkway that is a few feet above the platform on which the leader and crossbow-wielding zealots are stationed.

"Wait here."

You fold your arms, still gripping your handgun, as the door closes behind your friend. It surprised you a while ago to notice that every door shuts as soon as you pass through it, just like in the game. You find it odd, considering that most of the time that characteristic is only a nuisance. But whatever.

Gunshots erupt from across the room, and an explosion startles you. You guess that Leon shot an explosive barrel somewhere. _Why the heck does Salazar have flammable barrels in his home, anyway?_ you wonder. _His minions sure don't use them, and they don't always match the décor… What a weird midget._

With a sigh, you walk to the door and crack it open. Black-robed corpses are sprawled on the platform, a large burn mark disfigures the bright red carpet, and Leon is nowhere to be seen.

"_Nicole! Get out of there!_"

You scream, purely startled, when the masked zealot leader throws open the door and charges into you, knocking the handgun away. Another Illuminado trudges up the stairs, lurking behind a spiked wooden shield. The leader rasps an endless string of chants as he stalks towards you while you glance around for your missing gun. You dive for it, but the crimson-robed cultist wraps his arms around your stomach as you move and lifts you over his shoulder with a gravelly laugh. Your left arm scrapes against his ivory mask and curled ram horns, and the grenades hooked to your belt loops press uncomfortably into your abdomen as the zealot begins to walk toward the stairs.

Well, you aren't about to take this. Your favorite weapon is just sitting there on the floor, and Leon is going to be attacked. Impulsively, you grab the horns on the cultist's mask and pull his head to the side away from you. Your captor leans heavily to the right and crashes into the wall. You slip out of his arms, sliding until your feet touch down on the carpet, then bolt for your handgun.

The shielded Illuminado whirls around and rams you with the shield, puncturing your arms in several places and throwing you against the wall. You stagger upright and glance from your attacker to the handgun, and just as the Illuminado moves his heavy shield to the side to reach for your left wrist, the green door is kicked open. Leon fires rapidly into the monk's exposed back, then turns to shoot down the zealot leader.

But he has bolted down the stairs. Your stomach flips. _He's going to activate the gatling gun! Leon might get shot!_ "Leon, get the leader! I'll be fine!" You step over the dissolving corpse at your feet and grab your handgun as the government agent rushes down the stairs. You throw open the green door and gasp with relief to see that the zealot has not yet reached the turret, but raise your handgun with bleeding arms and search for him anyway.

A muffled gunshot downstairs sounds, then a limping cult leader emerges from the small room below you. You shoot him several times in the legs as Leon also leaves the room, and the crimson-robed monk topples down a short flight of stairs to the center of the area. Your friend pulls a suplex as the zealot staggers to his feet, and a wet crack makes you cringe. The leader does not move again.

You clap, startling Leon. "Great job, Leon! …Sorry for startling you. I'll come down and meet you right now!" Ignoring the pain in your stinging arms, you grab a pack of rifle ammo from a small table that Leon had missed and dash through the room, down the stairs, and into the main area, grinning. "Here! Found this for ya."

His blue eyes sparkle when he smiles back. "Thanks. You did really well defending yourself against that crimson leader. I'm proud of you."

"I'll do anything to make your job easier, Leon. You know that."

"It's not just that you make my job easier, you also fight back well against your captors. You're getting stronger and becoming more of a threat to the Illuminados than a captive."

You shrug. "Well, it's not like I _like_ being used as a human time bomb of epic destruction and world domination. I just figure, why not do something about it? Killing Saddler's people seems like a good start."

For that remark, Leon ruffles your hair and tosses you a Green Herb for your wounds. You love him so much.

The aforementioned shiny valuable recaptures your attention. You pluck it from the clasp of the cultist's robes. "The leader had a very fancy key, Leon."

Your friend takes it. "I suggest we use it on the very fancy locked door upstairs."

"Sounds like a plan." As you follow him back to the platform, you glance around at the arranged portraits on the walls. "These people don't look like midgets… Wonder if they're really related to Salazar?"

"Who cares?" is Leon's reply. You roll your eyes.

"Like I said, just wondering."

The Gallery is not pleasant at all. In stark contrast to the room you just left, it is small, dark, and very gloomy. The main decorations here are the morbid portraits of a number of people dying in each lined upon the wall in front of you. In the center is a small control panel, above which hangs a spotlight brightly illuminating the gruesome paintings.

"Salazar was not a happy child growing up, I imagine…"

Leon breaks open a few vases around the room. "Salazar has more issues than there are Illuminados in this castle," he picks up a pack of shotgun shells, "him and his whole twisted family. Let's see what this does."

"'The sacrifice of six lives shall make way the true path,'" you dramatically read.

"So we need to rearrange these so that six people are being killed. That's great." Leon presses the first switch, and you groan to yourself.

_I don't remember what the sequence is! We might be stuck here for a while… _After an undetermined number of long minutes, two guillotines and two nooses are displayed, and a rumble shakes the room as the wall slides to one side to reveal a wrought metal door. _Ew. Salazar's in there. And rocket launchers! How am I going to survive this?_

Leon nonchalantly saunters into the next room, and you follow, however reluctantly. To your humor, a large shadow falls over you both, but when you look up, it's just tiny Salazar!

He grins nastily at you both, placing his pale hands upon the smooth railing on the balcony. "What a pleasant surprise… but I'm afraid it's _Nicole _we need, not you, Mister Kennedy." Salazar's glittering yellow eyes settle possessively on you. You glare back.

"Well, you're not going to get her! I'm taking her back to her home, so get off my back, old man!" Woo-hoo! Leon's defending you! You smile at him, but he continues glaring at Salazar with icy blue eyes.

Salazar's grin falls and he gasps with surprise. "Did you say _old man_, Mister Kennedy? It might come as a surprise, but I'm only twenty years old!" He steps back from the railing and begins to pace, and you see the Verdugo guards watching his every step with beady, protective red eyes.

"Well, you don't look it!" you shout, taking an opportunity to make yourself heard in Resident Evil 4. "Sorry, Ramon, but you really look like a decrepit old timer. Maybe choosing to follow Saddler wasn't such a great idea after all, since it sucks away your youth and makes you just plain creepy."

"I will warn you not to insult my faith in Lord Saddler, _señorita_," Salazar chided, frowning at you. "When we recapture you, I will ensure that your stay in my beautiful castle is far from pleasant."

"Well, there's no need to worry about that. This death trap isn't exactly cozy and inviting."

Leon steps in. "Salazar, you're not going to recapture Nicole, you or Saddler! You're going down before that ever happens."

At this, Salazar beams again. "You think that I can be so easily defeated? The parasites, Las Plagas are slaves to my will. I have…_absolute control_." The Castellan wiggles his fingers with evil delight.

Leon cocks his head. "Well, I really don't give a d---. Rain or shine, you'll die with Saddler and Las Plagas, and Nicole will go home safely."

Salazar snaps his pudgy fingers, and two metal shutters raise to reveal groups of Illuminados waiting in hidden alcoves, armed with a variety of weapons. Another large group of zealots emerge from doorways beside and above you, and close in on you and Leon, whispering unholy chants.

The Castellan points at Leon. "Get rid of our American friend, but bring the girl to me!" Before Salazar even leaves the room with his bodyguards, you open fire on the cultists surrounding you, then aim once at the midget. You just miss his Napoleonic hat and hit the wall in front of him, but Salazar notices and whirls around to glare the offender. He sees you with your gun raised at him, and shouts.

"You _will_ be taken back to Lord Saddler and you _will_ serve under him to bring Las Plagas to your miserable country!" Salazar shakes with fury, his yellow eyes bulging. "But first, you shall watch your American friend die like the useless thug that he is!" The Castellan storms out of the room, and the moment he leaves, iron gates slam shut to bar every exit. Leon switches out the Red 9 for his Riot-gun and blasts away at the circle of attackers. One draws back its lengthy scythe, but you shoot its arm before your friend can be injured. To quickly do away with the large number of zealots, you toss a grenade behind them, obliterating the group. Leon reloads rapidly, and you reload your handgun clumsily before a whirring sound is heard. Above you, two more iron walls turn to release crossbow-wielding monks. You see the bright red lamps above each of their heads, and aim for one as Leon fires at a few more Illuminados. One bullet rains glass and fire upon a zealot, and another does away with a second.

Another flaming arrow hits the wall above you, and you turn to see two more monks with crossbows on the stairs directly to your left and right. You step forward to get a better shot, but at that moment another metallic whirring sounds, and you look to the area where Salazar had disappeared. An elaborate portrait above the balcony has been raised to reveal another niche, this time containing two hissing Illuminados with rocket launchers.

Your heart skips a beat. "L-_Leon-_" You are pulled by the wrist away from the area as two loud whooshes simultaneously explode from the powerful weapons. You can't help but stare at the twin missiles as they careen through the still air directly at where the two of you had been standing an instant before. Leon pulls you into a small stairway enclosed with stone walls, and you see the rockets pass between the pillars outside as he slams the door firmly shut behind you. Not a moment later, a blast rocks the Castle and your eardrums. Leon holds you in front of him with his back to the door as heat and light invade the stairway through the gaps in the door frame, and chunks of stone bricks clang against the metal door that is the only barrier between you and the blast. You nearly topple over with the force of the explosion, but Leon's steady grip on you, with his forearms around your waist, keep you upright.

You blink, dazed and shook up. Your ears ring, and Leon's voice sounds muffled even though his mouth is by your ear. "You okay? We gotta keep moving." You nod and follow him up the stairs, reloading your gun. Glancing back, you notice that the doorway to this room has nearly been demolished, and some of the walkway above it is now rubble on the tiled floor. What also surprises you is that the painting has been lowered back into place.

The two monks with crossbows that you had noticed earlier are easy enough to subdue, yet the moment you do the picture raises again and you sprint with Leon to take cover behind a stone wall. A pillar of that wall is obliterated by the nearby explosion, and debris pelts the two of you as you stand and barely evade an attack by an unseen Illuminado. Leon shoots his head once with the Riot-gun, and it bursts open at the neck to allow a Plaga room to slither out. The wormlike parasite stretches forward just as the two of you open fire on its slimy exoskeleton, and with a loud shriek, it dies without inflicting a hit. An uneasy silence follows, and you both glance warily at the beautiful portrait, which remains motionless back in its place.

Your heart is still racing from the shock of running for your life twice in quick succession. You wonder if Leon is even completely desensitized to such situations - probably not. But he doesn't show it, and you try not to as you follow him loyally around the area, breaking decorations and collecting their useful contents. By the exit, which is predictably locked, there is a switch on the wall.

"It seems to be some sort of security switch," your friend observes. He punches it, and a roofed platform rises from the center of the floor below that bears an ornate chest. There's no way of reaching it.

"Guess we gotta find another switch to press. Let's go, Nicole."

Only a few moments later you happen upon a door that opens into a narrow hallway. At the end is a large vase resting atop a wooden pedestal. Leon scrutinizes the pottery. "Wonder if that switch is in here..." He slashes it with his combat knife, and you brush the shards of porcelain away to reveal another red button, which you press daintily with your index finger. A loud rumble is heard that shakes the floor, and Leon turns to leave. "Sounds like that did it. Come on."

You tremble slightly at the thought of the two Illuminados waiting for you on the platform with the chest. Both are armed with rocket launchers, and you can only hope that your friend will react in time. After all, you can't warn him - that might raise suspicion against you. Leon pulls open the door, and you barely hear the click of the zealots raising their weapons before he slams it shut and drags you far away. The two of you nearly make it back to the pedestal before another loud explosion rocks the area. Splintered chunks of wood are thrust into the tiny space, along with clouds of dust. The grit in the air clings to the backs of your throats as you both are pelted by large pieces of the door and walls. Coughing and squinting through watery eyes, you stagger out of the hallway with Leon to be met with hissing and the rattle of a flail's chain.

Instantly you arm yourselves and begin shooting at the enemies that have suddenly appeared. After disposing of the horde of Illuminados, the room is quiet again. Leon looks you over. "You all right?"

You give him a dusty thumbs-up. "You?"

"I can't say this is fun, but we'll survive."

You smile. "Heck yeah, we will!" Leon crosses the small marble bridge that the switch had activated and opens the elaborate chest. With a bit of surprise, he pulls out the black granite Goat Ornament.

"Huh. I think this is-"

The room rumbles again, and glancing around, you see that all of the gates have been raised. Leon stares into the chest.

"I guess there must be a pressure switch in there that controls the doors," he muses. The government agent tentatively presses on the cushioned bottom of the trunk with the palm of his hand, and leans into it to add pressure.

The iron bars lower again. You giggle, and Leon raises his hand slightly. The bars raise, and Leon pushes down again, causing the gates to stop and descend while they were halfway up. You watch with glee as Leon messes with the switch for a moment, rapidly pressing and releasing the sensor and causing Salazar's expensive security gates to twitch up and down awkwardly.

Your friend finally allows the bars to raise and returns to you, smiling mischievously. "I hate this castle."

You nudge his arm. "You should'a broke the thing."

He nudges you back with his elbow. "Then we might've been stuck in here."

You frown. "Oh. I didn't think of that…"

The two of you pass into the next area.

* * *

Outside, the air is cooler and less humid than before. You draw in an appreciative breath of fresh air that doesn't stink of anything dead and exhale it in a short scream. Ravens suddenly take flight directly in front of you, cawing irritably. You grip a nearby pillar to steady yourself as you recover. The tiny black masses could have been Illuminados attacking you again… But why would you think that? You must be going insane with fear. Perhaps being in constant danger will do that to you. You wonder why Leon hasn't lost his marbles yet. 

Speaking of whom, he's shaking your shoulder gently right now. You should show some sign of life. "Mmm?"

"I asked if you're okay. Are you? They're just birds. Even better, they're _normal_ birds." Leon's concerned eyes sparkle playfully as he aims his TMP with a flick of his wrist, fires, and lowers it again in one motion. An agonized caw echoes off of the ramparts that tumbles down to the darkened earth. "See, nothing happened. It's dead."

You nod, picturing in your mind's eye the fierce red eyes of the zealot leader boring into you hungrily underneath of the jagged white mask. You hear his gravelly voice spouting endless chants as his cold hands grab you and hoist you onto his shoulder. Then you see the missiles of the rocket launchers careening towards you and Leon as smoke billows from the weapons that held them. All of that danger has passed so quickly, yet still worse terrors await you both. And one of the most horrible is only around a few more corners…

"…Nicole? What's wrong? Talk to me."

You shake your head. "N…nothing. I was just… thinking. About what we went through. …Sucks, doesn't it?"

Leon smiles sadly. "That can't even come close to describing it. But that's over now. Come on." You follow your friend to the maze.

* * *

The transceiver beeps on Leon's hip, and he pulls it out of his belt and presses the SEND/END button with a sigh. 

Salazar's pale face graces the screen, showing a contorted frown and angry yellow eyes. "Mister Kennedy… Still alive, I see." Disappointment laces the Castellan's sour tone.

"Salazar, when are you going to understand that your hypnotized little monks just aren't good enough to protect you from me?" Leon feigns a look of pity. "Can't you absorb that fact into your skull, or is your big Napoleon hat getting in the way?"

The midget snarls and grits his teeth while you laugh beside Leon. "You think that you can insult me so freely, Mister Kennedy?"

"From this distance, yeah. And I could let Nicole on, I'm sure she's got something to say to you, too."

"That… is unnecessary, Mister Scott," Salazar spits. "You wouldn't want your last words to be empty jokes, would you? Look to your left."

Your gaze sweeps the expanse of the hedge maze, taking in the turns and random architecture, but you can't see any of the Colmillos' cages.

Salazar continues in a sinisterly gleeful tone. "So, how do you like my garden?"

Your friend scoffs. "I see you've managed to work in a little of your twisted taste here, too."

The Castellan chuckles. "Sagacious as I am, even I get lost here sometimes. Even if it takes your whole life, you'll never get out. Do you know that no one dies without a cause? You will satisfy the stomachs of my cute pets. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to tie up a few loose ends. Like chasing down a couple of rats." The transmission is cut.

You patiently allow Leon to have his cutscene moment as he wonders, "Two rats...? If one's Luis... Who's the other? There an intruder besides me?"

Playing along, you add, "I hope they're on our side."

Leon nods. "Yeah, me too. Guess we'll have to find out."

As you descend the short flight of stone stairs, a singular, eager bark booms from deep within the maze. You jump. "Crap… Leon… those things want to tear us apart. I'm scared." Your friend's eyes are a steely shade of blue as he glances back at you.

"Just stay close to me. You'll be all right." He cautiously approaches the iron-wrought gate. Something moves nearby, rustling the leaves on the trimmed hedges.

You can hear the dogs growling and sniffing for the two of you, and begin to panic. Your heart races, and you clutch Leon's arm just as he places one hand against the metal gate. He looks back at you, and sees your wide-eyed stare and trembling form. Leon turns away from the gate to face you, and gently holds you by your upper arms with a reassuring gaze. "Hey… hey. We're gonna be fine. We'll get through this. Whatever's in there, we can take it, you hear me? We can take it. We haven't been stopped by giant ogres, or Plagas, or anything else yet. Whatever's in this maze is going to die just like everything else that has and will come after us."

Twin torches roar above you, casting a golden glow on you both. Their warmth is nullified by the chill in the air, and in your own heart. Now after the nightmare in the sewers, and with this and the cage and gatling gun traps still to come, you aren't sure how many more terrors you can make it through before you snap. Maybe you already have.

Leon rubs your upper arms soothingly for a moment. "Stay with me, Nicole. You've come this far; don't lose it on me now. I won't let those monsters touch you."

You meet his eyes, and shake your head. "Y-you think I'm freaking out because I'm worried about Salazar's dogs coming after _me?_ Leon! I'm afraid for _you!_ I keep picturing in my mind one of them pinning you to the ground and tearing out your throat, but never what happens after I'm left alone. Because you die, and all of my hope dies with you. I'm panicking because any one of those dogs could kill you! I don't care about me! I just… you're the one here that matters, Leon. I don't want you to suffer anymore."

Leon draws you into a comforting hug as you try to resume breathing normally, and wind up gasping shakily instead. He rubs your back for a long moment before releasing you and stepping back. "I promise that we'll both be all right. Through this and anything else that happens." A cocky smirk lifts one corner of his mouth. "And anyway, that's part of my job. To ensure your safety by putting down Salazar's mutated hounds, it's right in the job description. I can deal with them just fine." He lifts your chin with one hand, and you can't fight back a smile. "So stay close, and don't worry about me. Okay?"

You nod, despite cold fear still swirling behind your fading happiness. You need to pull yourself together and focus for Leon. His life may very well depend on it.

But you have faith, a _strong_ faith, that the two of you can make it through this.

And straight to the end of the game.

Leon pushes open the gate.

* * *

The moment you pass underneath of the stone bridge, panting and the thud of heavy, padded paws alert you to the coming of the first Colmillo. It bounds towards Leon from the left of the platform above, and springs at him with an open, frothing maw bearing fangs much too large for any normal dog. The government agent blasts it away with one shotgun shell an instant before it reaches his throat, and shoots again as the moaning animal recovers. The creature collapses in a bloody heap and disintegrates into an ugly stain in Salazar's manicured lawn. 

Leon reloads. "D---. They're fast." You nod wordlessly and follow him through a narrow pathway to the left. You hate being shadowed by the tall, thick shrubbery that even obscure what is dimly lit by the scattered torches. Every noise seems amplified, but all that you can see is shrouded by darkness.

Except for the glowing eyes of a pair of Colmillos barking at you in the distance.

Leon kicks down a gate in front of you, and it flies off of its hinges to bang against the ground. The mutated dogs snarl and claw at the door to their cage, but can't get out. Leon scoffs.

"Salazar made such a big deal about getting his animals to eat me, but he forgot to let them out first. What an idiot."

You smile. "Yeah. Can I get them?"

Leon nods. You pull out a grenade and throw it underhanded against the metal door. The explosion blasts the cage apart, and by the time the smoke clears two dark stains are all that remain of the hounds. Your friend continues down a path to the left, and you follow closely, keeping one hand around his right arm and the other on your handgun for security.

A fancy stone staircase is to your left, but Leon decides to continue straight. Your heart pounds as the path opens to a dead-end containing an elaborate chest. You sigh with disappointment when Leon pulls out a simple pack of shotgun ammo, but gasp when a Colmillo sprints around the corner behind you and lunges.

Its paws hit your chest as Leon cracks its ribs with a forceful kick. The dog yelps and hacks blood mixed with saliva, then attempts to stand as the government agent blasts its skull apart with two shots. Its back splits open, and a Plaga slithers into the chilled air, tentacles lashing out at the two of you. You and Leon both shoot at the alien creature, and it instantly dies and terminates the life of its host.

You glance down; your shirt is ripped just below your left shoulder. Not enough for your bra to show, thank goodness, but irritating nonetheless. You'll have to be careful that it doesn't get snagged on anything. You look up at Leon when he touches your shoulder.

"You all right?"

"Yeah. My shirt's the only thing that took a hit. I'm okay."

"All right. We need to keep moving. Let's go across that bridge." You follow him as you backtrack several feet to the staircase, and as you walk across the short bridge, you glance around for any visible dogs. Of course, all are hidden. You reload your handgun.

Soon you come upon a fountain on which the statue of a satyr kneels. At its cloven feet is the left half of the Moonstone, a small sculpture elaborately detailed with a crescent moon at its center. You gently store it in the attaché case, careful not to let the heavy keystone pinch your fingertips as you set it down.

Absolute silence follows, save for the trickling of the fountain and the roar of nearby torches. Blood rushes in your ears. You habitually touch Leon's warm arm as you follow him back towards the staircase.

The moment you come around the corner two Colmillos burst from the hedges and lunge at both of you. Two more bound down from the stairs. Leon shoots his attacker away, but you are pinned down by a dog and throw up your handgun to protect yourself. The Colmillo closes its frothing jaws onto your right hand, and you fire into the side of its head. The dog pulls away, back ripping open just as your friend shoots it and puts it down. Leon's blue eyes are wide with worry, but he quickly draws them away from you to fire at the remaining Colmillo. You can barely register what's going on. Blood pours from your right hand, and glancing down, you see that the dog had torn deep into the flesh below your knuckles in three lines, and identical lacerations were made directly below them by the bottom row of teeth. A chunk of skin hangs off of your thumb also, exposing raw muscle underneath. The pain is incredible. The handgun slips from your grip easily in the coating of blood.

Another loud crack sounds from the shotgun, reverberating in your ears and skull. The last Colmillo yowls and snaps its teeth, then falls. Leon rushes to you, nearly dropping his shotgun, and reaches for your good hand to help you up.

"Nicole! Nicole, just hold on… I'll get you a First-Aid Spray. Put the gun down…" He takes the handgun from you, gently pulling it from your loosened grip so that he can treat your bite wounds. Blood fills the tiny lines on your palm and runs down your arm. Your fingernails and cuticles are stained red. Your right hand feels like it's on fire, you want so badly to collapse into Leon and just pass out…

The pain fades away. Cold envelopes your hand, then numbness. Leon pitches the empty can and softly holds your right hand between both of his, his eyes flickering between your healing palm and your own eyes. "Hey…" His breath brushes against your forehead, and you look up, blinking back tears. "You all right? Do you need anything else?"

You shake your head, sniffling. "Just hurts," you mumble, swallowing.

Leon nods. "We need to keep moving. The faster we get to the other half of that stone, the sooner we can get out of this maze. Okay? Can you stay with me?"

You nod. "…C-can I have my gun back?"

He smiles and reloads it before wiping it off and handing it back to you. "Let's go." Leon pulls the shotgun out from a holster along his back and reloads it as you follow him back up the stairs and across the bridge. Moonlight glimmers off of something dark trailing along his back. You nearly stop walking.

"Leon, you're bleeding."

He continues on. "It's just a scratch. One of them jumped me while I was saving you. It can wait until we get out of here."

You don't want it to wait. Anything could happen that might make the wound worse. But before you can argue this point, dogs rush at you from ahead and behind.

You and Leon whirl around to face the Colmillo behind you, then realize that you both have done so, and you turn back around to kill the neglected dog. As you turn, you shoot, but just miss the infected hound by inches as it leaps at you. The creature slams into your chest and you jam the barrel of your handgun into its furry neck and fire multiple times. Hot blood pours onto your shirt, and the dog yelps, but rears back to bite you. Leon fires at the dog, and it is launched into the hedges with the blast. You twist on the ground to shoot Leon's attacker, which has sprung at him as he glanced to make sure you are okay. Your bullets fly through empty air behind the Colmillo as it pins Leon to the ground and rips out a small chunk of flesh.

You scream. _I keep picturing in my mind one of them pinning you to the ground and tearing out your throat, but never what happens after I'm left alone. Because you die, and all of my hope dies with you. I'm panicking because any one of those dogs could kill you!_ The blood drains from your face and you raise your handgun to tear apart the monster that might have just killed Leon.

No loud crack booms from the barrel of your weapon. Only an empty, metallic click. You can't believe it. No ammo. Empty. Now, of all times. Numbness creeps over you as you realize that this may very well be the end. You had never found the maze to be an easy part of the game to play through. Who knew that the Colmillos were as deadly in reality as they sometimes were to the Leon on your Gamecube?

The dog gags and snarls as the long barrel of Leon's shotgun is jammed between its bloody jaws. Your friend, gritting his teeth against what must be unimaginable pain, weakly holds off the Colmillo's deadly attack as he bleeds profusely from a gaping wound not on his neck, but his right shoulder. The hound, in an energetic killing frenzy, claws at Leon's arms and chest to distract him from barring it with the gun. Leon cries out in agony, and you suddenly pull away from your resignation to death. Leon is still fighting, and dying. You can still save him.

You jump up and kick at the dog furiously, even deliver a solid, improvised axe kick to its spine. It staggers away, yowling. You glance at Leon, and the numb feeling returns.

_He's not moving!_

You grab the shotgun from his motionless hands and turn to face the injured Colmillo. It barks and rears back to attack you. You spread your feet for stability and fire once somewhere on the dog. The force of the recoil sends you stumbling back. The Colmillo also collapses and instantly you fall to your knees beside Leon, eyes filling with tears, losing more hope that you can save his life with every deep wound your eyes come across.

You fumble around in the blood-stained attaché case for another First-Aid Spray, choking back sobs. "Leon… Leon, don't die on me! You're bleeding everywhere… Leon, if I can't save you, I'll never forgive myself. It's my fault you've been hurt in the first place! This whole thing is all my fault!"

You grab a vial of Green, Red, and Yellow Herbs and smear the medicinal plants generously on each wound, sniffing back a runny nose and blinking away a constant flow of tears. You use the vial's contents on all scratch wounds, and save another full vial for the terrible shoulder wound. _He was struck there before by the Garrador… My poor Leon…_

There's nothing else you can do. Wiping away tears with the dirty back of your hand, you clumsily reload both the handgun and shotgun, amazed that the shotgun was able to fire with the number of dents in the metal barrel. You watch Leon carefully for signs of consciousness. "…I never should have avoided that trap, Leon," you murmur, touching his hand. "I did that because I think I might be able to save Luis later on, and help you through these trials now. But… I'm such a burden to you, Leon… You've been hurt so much because of me…" You lean over him and place your ear next to his parted lips, and start sobbing again when you hear definite, shallow breaths.

"You always recover, you always survive! I'm so proud of you, Leon… So thankful for having you as a friend. You're so strong. God will take care of you. God is healing you. We both love you." You are silent for a few moments, listening to the roar of torches above you. Then you rub his arm gently.

"Leon… can you hear me? I need you to get up. We still have to get the second half of the Moonstone and get out of this maze. Come on, Leon…"

You brush away blond bangs that had stuck to his forehead with sweat, and he stirs. Your friend groans softly, and his blue eyes flutter open. "…The… dogs…"

"Are dead," you answer. "We're safe for now. But we still need to find that other half of the Moonstone. Don't get up too quickly, though! You've been through a lot, Leon."

The government agent disregards your words and sits up, gritting his teeth. "I've survived worse. We need to move, before any more dogs sniff us out. Let's get going."

You smile widely. "I'm so, _so_ glad that you're all right! I don't know what I would have done if you had remained unconscious or died. It's all my fault that you got hurt, Le-"

"Don't say that!" Leon's eyes are sharp as they meet yours. "Don't ever blame any of this on yourself. You have done nothing wrong, _nothing _to cause any of this. If anything, you've saved my life and helped me through this mission more than I ever could have expected from a girl I'm assigned to rescue. Don't ever think that anything that happens to us is your fault. This is all out of our control; we're just rolling with what Saddler throws at us."

You restrain yourself from throwing your arms around him only because you two need to get up and get moving. Enough time and drama has been spent here. And anyway, the merchant is up ahead as well as a good place to rest and recover. You just need to stick it out; _then_ you can give Leon a huge hug!

You and Leon return to the beginning of the maze, where the tall platform stands, flanked by barrels. Leon runs up the stairs to the fountain on top of the plateau and grabs the second half of the Moonstone. As the two of you make your way to the iron gate, tasting freedom, a growl from behind freezes your heart for a beat.

You both turn around to see two Colmillos charging at you from around the platform. Leon raises his shotgun, but you toss an incendiary grenade at the pair of infected hounds. The two are smothered by flames and die, howling in agony. You are personally glad to watch them die. Those were the last Colmillos, you're sure.

Leon kicks open the gate, and you enjoy the harsh clang as it slams shut behind you, sealing your misery and fear inside of the convoluted paths of Salazar's maze.

For now.


	25. Bonus Chapter Part 3: The End

**Note from the Author:** Hello again, to everyone who has read my previous chapters in this crazy story and waited so very long for the final installment. I am very happy to finally finish this story and truly say that it is complete. I am also very sorry that you have waited so long to finally see the end of these special chapters accompanying the original story. I won't give you excuses; all that I will say is that I hope that this final chapter is worth waiting for. I am very happy with this last installment, as I feel that it has some of my best writing for this story, and you deserve the best writing I can offer. Please enjoy this last chapter, please let me know your thoughts about it, and please also let me know if you would like for me to write something else (or a sequel...?). Thank you so much for all of your support during my years with this story, I do read every single comment and I appreciate them all. **-1wingangel**

* * *

"Leon... long time no see."

You turn around in unison with Leon and are surprised to be surprised to see Ada Wong, Wesker's flawlessly beautiful double-crossing spy. You suppose you were caught a bit off-guard that she's even more stunning in reality, which invokes a strong flare of disgust. Ada is _such_ a breathing cliche.

She smiles coyly at the government agent as she leans against the stone doorway, blue moonlight haloing her curvaceous form. You glance sideways at Leon, whose eyes widen before hardening with distrust. His right hand reaches for the knife strapped to his shoulder.

"Ada-"

She steps forward once and swiftly pulls out her handgun from a holster on her thigh. Holding it aloft to aim at Leon, she shakes her head once, still smiling. "Don't touch that blade, Leon. Put your hands up."

Ada ignores you. Apparently, she doesn't see you as a threat. Hm.

To your great disappointment, Leon moves his hands away from the knife and raises them slightly above his shoulders. _Why isn't he pulling off any awesome government agent moves? Some cut scene this is. ...Well, Ada _is_ far enough away to shoot him without being attacked._

_..By _Leon_, at least. _You pull out your own handgun and raise it so that the red dot is positioned just below Ada's collarbone. Leon, who was about to reply to Ada, glances at you with worry. The female spy, however, looks at you and smiles wider. _She still isn't taking me seriously._ You glare sharply. "You shoot Leon, Ada, and I'll get you twice as bad. Don't think I won't do it. I have enough rounds to tear you apart."

Ada's dark eyes flicker to Leon, then to you, hidden behind stylish sunglasses. "Hmm... so he _did_ give you a gun. That's interesting." Her handgun remains fixed on Leon.

"Drop the gun!" Your heart pounds. Shooting Ada, especially in the chest, where you're aiming, would suck. You kind of don't want to kill a video game character.

Ada removes the sunglasses with her left hand, suspending them so that the frame points downward, and simultaneously lowers her handgun to her side. She continues to watch you. "Your turn."

You shake your head. "Not while you're a threat to Leon."

"Nicole, put your gun away." Leon's tone is stern, and you do so as a regretful chill creeps over you at being reprimanded. You almost feel as though you had done something stupid, but you glance up to meet Leon's eyes and are sure you see gratitude in them. The tension in the room steadily melts away, but lingers in the wary glint in the agents' eyes. Leon turns his attention to Ada, and slowly lowers his hands.

"What are you doing here, Ada?"

She smiles teasingly. "You don't honestly think I'd tell you?" The spy lithely crosses the room to stand in front of Leon, the ends of her revealing red dress fluttering slightly with the movement. "You know me better than that, Leon."

Leon doesn't blink. You can sense that he refuses to let his guard down despite Ada's friendlier demeanor. "I already know that you're here on Wesker's orders. I just haven't figured out what he wants out of all of this."

Ada looks at him with mock affection, completely ignoring your presence right beside him. "And you don't need to know that."

Well, you can't stay quiet and dumb. "Leon, what's going on? Who is she?" You don't need to feign irritation at being left out.

He doesn't look away from the spy as he answers. "We met back in Raccoon CIty. Saved each other's ass a few times during the outbreak. Ada lied about who she was. She's working f-"

"Leon, it's been six years since we've seen each other, and you don't have _anything_ nice to say about me?" Ada tilts her head to one side, her voice dripping with sweetness, the pleasant expression unchanging. "That hurts, Leon. I thought we were friends."

Leon's icy blue eyes melt with an emotion you can't determine. "I thought we were, too." He gently cups her right wrist with his left hand. "But friends shouldn't need these." You all glance down at the handgun she still tensely holds.

Ada's facade of sweetness evaporates at Leon's soft touch. She pulls away from Leon and holsters the handgun in one movement, then takes another step back as she discreetly lets the sunglasses drop to the floor. The rose-colored frames bounce off of the carpet, and as the dark lens reflect the glare of din lighting above, you swear you momentarily see moving letters and graphics projected on the glass.

_She activated the flash bomb. Wherever their conversation is going, it'll end soon._

Leon looks up at Ada. "What's going on? Why is Wesker involved with Los Illuminados?"

She elegantly crosses her arms. "He sent me here to acquire something that is completely unrelated to you, Leon. You have your mission, and I have mine." Her claret lips curve in a devious smirk. "It's best that we keep going our separate ways."

Ada glances at the sunglasses, and you do, too, but see nothing. Leon steps towards her. "Ada, you can't-"

A quiet shriek catches your attention. "Leon, the sunglasses are beeping..."

At the same instant, Leon looks down at the sunglasses, Ada steps back with a cold laugh, and the glasses explode in a flash of light that engulfs the room. The government agent throws his forearms over his face a moment too late, and you turn your head away as you hear soft footsteps leaving the room.

"See you around."

Leon squints in the light. "_Ada!_" The light disappears. Leon stumbles back, muttering curses, temporarily blinded. You blink futilely at colorful spots that dominate your vision and glance down at the demolished pair of sunglasses that lies in blackened ruins on the carpet.

"...Those are _awesome_ sunglasses."

* * *

Leon's still in a bad mood when you finish negotiating with the merchant a good ten minutes later. You smile up at him reassuringly. "Don't be so upset. You'll probably see her again while we're here, we all have to deal with Saddler."

He nods curtly as he jams a new clip into the TMP. "Yeah, I know, but that doesn't make me feel any better about why she's here. Umbrella's gotta be interested in Las Plagas, and that can't..." He glances at you apologetically. "...Well, a girl like you shouldn't have to worry about stuff like this. Let's go."

You frown up at Leon, but he's already moving past you and exiting the merchant's temporary shop. The government agent meanders around the moonlit bedroom and collects various supplies and treasure, and you look around to help him until a train of thought stops you in your tracks.

_ There's a very large and comfortable bed here._ You stare at the plush, decorative pillows and the thick red cover spread perfectly on top of the mattress. _Leon's busy, I've got nothing to do... It's been almost two days since I've even _seen_ a clean place to sleep..._ You approach the bed and let yourself fall into the mattress, your hair and limbs splaying out carelessly wherever they land. Your body marginally sinks into the soft bed, and you are encompassed in a source of warmth and comfort. Immediately your eyelids become heavy, and you stretch out along the width of the luxurious bed, pushing a small, tasseled pillow out of your way.

_ No idea why Capcom stuck a room here, but darn I'm happy they did._ You sigh contentedly. _Leon just passes this up... Government training, I guess..._

"Hey."

You can barely will your eyes to crack open. Leon's voice is becoming harder to hear.

A fingertip punches into your shoulder. "Nicole, you're not falling asleep on me."

You part your lips and mumble, "Yes I am..." It's amazing how the adrenaline never let you fully realize how exhausted you are. This is bliss, and Leon is not taking it away from you.

Unfortunately, you think he's still talking. "...great as this is, we have parasites in our bodies... …Saddler to kill... …not much time. You can't... …An evil corporation just walked into the picture - let's go!" A gloved hand wraps around your wrist, and you are pulled off of the bed, jolted awake and clumsily brought to your feet. Lazily, you rub your eyes and blink up at Leon, who almost looks annoyed.

"...You have _no_ idea how nice that was."

Thankfully, Leon cracks a small smile. "Hey, this isn't easy on me, either. But I think we'll both sleep more soundly when we get out of this mess."

You nod reluctantly. "...Right."

Leon's grasp slides from your wrist to your hand as he pulls you farther away from the bed and resumes walking. "Come on. Let's keep moving." You almost fully wake up when you leave the dim moonlight and calls of nocturnal insects behind for the harsh fluorescent lighting and unsettling silence of the adjacent Dining Room. You glance around as Leon breaks open a vase ahead, trying to remember where you are in the game and what is going to happen next.

Oh. Shoot the wine bottle, then get stuck in a cage with a Garrador and a continuous army of Illuminados.

A Garrador...

You picture claws tearing into Leon's shoulder, hoisting him into the air, then another set cuts off his head, and you grimace. You'll try your best to prevent any Garrador claws from harming Leon this time.

"'_Bread begins the meal of life..'._" Leon's robotic voice echos off of the stone walls.

You turn your head. "Huh?"

"Just reading the plaques on the walls. They're philosophical and all about food, and that..." he pats his stomach, "doesn't help me any."

You smirk, walking over to a granite plaque embedded in the wall. "Hey, I'm hungry, too. Don't think you get all the sympathy." Your smile turns downwards when you notice the dark circles under Leon's eyes. He really is beat, more so than you, you're sure.

He reads the next plaque. "'_Meat to savor the time at hand.'_ Damn, I could really go for a steak."

"Oh man, I _love_ steak," you agree. "My stomach's growling... I'll take the other ones for you. Give yourself a break." Leon chuckles once and leans back against the long, ornate table as you walk along the wall to read the next plaque. "'_A dessert to cherish our remaining years.'_ ...I want cake. Chocolate cake. I think this is harder for me than you, Leon."

Leon runs a hand through his dirty blonde hair. "Hey, I haven't eaten anything but raw eggs for two days," he retorts. "Don't think you get all the sympathy."

You grin. "'_One last drink and the bottle breaks, returning us to the dust from whence we came.'_ Deee-pressing. And really confusing."

Leon is meandering around the room, toying with the locked gate that leads to the adjacent room, and examining the narrow alcove. "So what the heck do we have to do to get that gate open? Those plaques are probably more than just analogies." He taps the bell with his palm as you join him at the counter. A blank portion of the far wall rotates, and Leon reaches to grab his handgun until the tantalizing portrait of food appears. He exhales. "Huh. I was almost expecting a couple of RPGs."

You smile. "Yeah, I... had that feeling too." Not really.

"So, what does this mean?" Leon folds his arms and stares at the portrait. "Because if it doesn't turn into real food at some point, I'm not interested."

You laugh. "Um, well..." You pretend to think. "Um, _'drink and the bottle breaks,'_ right?"

He glances sideways at you, not understanding where you're going with this. "…Right."

"So... shoot it."

"Shoot the picture?"

"Sure, why not?" _Just do it, Leon. It doesn't make sense, but otherwise we'll be here all day..._

Leon draws his semi-automatic rifle and peers through the crosshairs. "Where should I... oh. There's a little thing on the wine bottle. A button or something." He pulls the trigger, and dark liquid splashes out from the wine bottle and stains the surrounding dishes. A low rumble signals that the gate has been raised.

Leon swaps the rifle for his TMP, looking pleased. "Way to go, you little psychic."

_Oops, I kind of am._ "Thanks, it was lucky." Crap, now you have to go in the room with the cage. And keep Leon from being impaled or otherwise painfully slaughtered. Leon glances into the compact, square room with the barrel of his TMP and then enters. You follow, then suddenly gasp loudly and pretend to be surprised. "Leon!" He whirls around, wary of danger. You point dramatically to the ceiling. "Look up there."

He sees the cage suspended above the center of the room and the elaborate chest, and his expression tenses. "Looks like Salazar doesn't want us to get the that chest... or live trying to take what's in it." He glances back at you. "Stay here and keep your gun ready. Yell if you need me. I'll take care of what's in that chest."

You nod. Leon walks towards the tall pedestal. _Uh oh, he's got the wrong kind of gun... _"Leon?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you want your shotgun? It might get crowded in there..."

Your friend thinks for a moment, then nods. "Good idea." As he switches weapons, you check your ammo and grenade supply and stand anxiously by the doorway.

Leon approaches the chest, moving slowly and cautiously in the silent room. You watch his shoes slowly pad along the carpet as he walks. You admire his totally mad government agent skillz. _I can't even hear him walking right now. How does he do that? _The cage slams into the carpet, the spiked ends of each vertical bar cutting into the floor to secure the metal trap in its position. Leon staggers back, startled, and glances around for a way out as cold hands warp around your upper arms and roughly pull you into the dining room. Lips close to your ear breathe that familiar chant.

"AAH! Leon! They're-"

"YAAAARGH!" A tall, bulky Garrador leaps into the cage from above, landing awkwardly with a loud thud. It steadies itself and extends its deadly claws with a shriek as two armed Illuminados drag you towards a far door. You struggle and flail in their constricting grip, and twist the 0.9mm in your hands to aim into the stomach of one monk. You shoot, and hot blood explodes out of the assaulter's abdomen. It collapses next to you, and you nearly topple over with it. The other Illuminado pulls you up with a grunt and moves to hoist you onto its shoulder. You take advantage of your increased mobility to fire at its pale cranium.

The bullet digs a bloody hole above the monk's ear and bursts straight out of the side of its head. The body crumples forward onto you, and you push it away as the first zealot gurgles and tries to stand. You shoot it in the neck and reload as dark blood fountains from its throat.

Frantic shots pepper the air from the next room, followed by the throaty roar of the Garrador. _Leon..._ You sprint towards the room with the cage, but an Illuminado with a flail steps out from the doorway to stop you. You shoot it four times in the chest and shove it out of the way so that you can reach Leon.

He's still in the cage, bleeding and walking around the pedestal, quietly distancing himself from the alert Garrador. More zealots drop down from the area above, and several with crossbows fire at Leon. The tip of an arrow pierces Leon's lower back, and he buckles forward in agony.

"_Leon!_" The Garrador shrieks and charges towards you, barreling into the cage and slashing wildly at the unrelenting bars. You jump back a little in fright as it snarls and claws at the cage in a violent frenzy, trying to tear you apart.

You aim your handgun at the Iluminados closing in on you, glancing at the crazed Garrador. "Yeah, that's right, it's _me_ you want! Not Leon! Keep listening to _me!_ You can't find him!"

You need to keep its attention, even while Leon shoots at the Plaga on its back, so you continue shouting as zealots approach. One aims a fire-tipped arrow at you, and you quickly blast the weapon, then the monk, apart with a good many shots. "_That_ one tried to shoot me!" The Garrador wails as Leon pumps powerful, scattered shots into the pulsing parasite, but the monster remains focused on killing you. "But I got him first. Now all of _you_-" you pull the pin on a grenade, completely aware that you sound like an idiot to Leon, "will have to be taken out by a grenade. Here!"

The blast tears apart every surrounding Illuminado, and the Garrador falls back from the bars of the cage, yowling and retracting his claws as he clutches at his bleeding torso. A good portion of his chest has been ripped away, but it continues to stagger backwards, and Leon fires again at the Plaga on its back.

Your ears are ringing from all of the noise, but you glance around and see more monks jumping into the dying fray as the hulking Garrador slumps on the floor with a loud gurgle. The decimated Plaga on its back oozes blood and bubbling fluids as it lies in a steaming mess on the Garrador's corpse. You run around the cage to find a padlocked door, and Leon meets you there, shooting away two Illuminados. As he reloads, you fire at the thick metal lock, and it breaks into pieces and falls off. You stand back, reloading, and look around at approaching zealots as Leon kicks down the door and rushes to you, gritting his teeth against the pain of the arrow.

You sweep around behind Leon to see the arrow embedded in his lower back, and dark blood has soaked into his shirt and stained some of his belt. "Ohmigosh, Leon, you're bleeding, you've got an arrow-"

"We've gotta get out of here!" You hear several monks mutter angrily behind you.

Hot tears spring into your eyes as you remain frozen, your stare fixed on the wound. "Leon, _you've just been shot_-"

"Shut up and get into the next room!" Leon fires once above your head at the nearby group of six armed Illuminados, then pushes you into the narrow dining room as the enemies are momentarily stunned. He glances at you with steely blue eyes before watching the zealots crowd the doorway. "Throw a grenade."

You rip an explosive from your belt loop and toss it under the monks' feet. Leon pulls you towards the back of the room as the grenade detonates, hissing as the shifting motion agitates the wound on his back. A wave of heat lashes the back of your neck before you are showered with burnt debris and flesh. Your ears ring again. You glance at the doorway to make sure that every foe has been killed, and sigh with relief upon seeing a pile of broken bodies on the tiled floor.

Leon cries out. He clutches the bloody arrow in his hand, and the wound on his back bleeds freely.

"Oh no, Leon, let me help...!" You fumble in the attaché case for a First-Aid Spray. "Bend over the table so I can see it..." You spray the medicinal liquid into Leon's deep wound. He grips the side of the table, and you give him an encouraging pat on the back as the spray fizzes loudly.

He groans. "At least the damn thing was easier to get out... than a bullet... But it sure doesn't sting any less. Ah, dammit."

A wet crack splits the quiet air by the doorway, and one Illuminado twitches violently. An adult Plaga bursts from its head and wriggles upright on the mass of corpses, blood streaming off of its slimy exoskeleton. Your heart races as the disgusting parasite scuttles across the floor not unlike a large, alien arachnid.

Leon reaches for his shotgun as you pull out a flash grenade and the Plaga leaps at you. Its long, webbed legs stab into your torso as two whips along its backside snap in the air. You scream in pain and swipe at the creature as it skitters around your head, futilely beating its warm exoskeleton. Warm, slick slime spatters your face. The collar of your shirt is torn. One leg slashes your cheek and neck and the parasite's manic shriek pounds against your eardrums.

A blinding flash envelops the area and the Plaga screeches and writhes, then drops from your shoulders and disintegrates.

You nearly drop to the floor yourself; the puncture wounds from the Plaga are bleeding and stinging. Your vision blurs, and you sway on your feet. Leon catches you, muttering curses and grabbing a First-Aid Spray from the open attache case. You squeeze your eyes shut and gasp when the cold medicinal liquid hits each wound, invoking a terrible sting that's worst at the laceration on your throat.

The First-Aid Spray sputters and ejects sterile mist before emptying completely. Leon tosses it aside and grabs a Green Herb. You blink up at Leon, who holds you against him with one hand and smiles reassuringly as he gently applies the crushed herb to the cut on your cheek.

You smile back as the pain on the upper body dissipates. "...I must really look like crap now, huh...?"

Leon shakes his head as he wipes away the remnants of the Green Herb with his thumb "Nah, you look good. Trust me," he helps you to your feet, "there isn't anyone here who would criticize your looks."

You grin and move towards the adjacent room. "Now that we've taken turns saving each other, let's get the thing from that fancy chest." The thing turns out to be an hourglass decorated ornately with gold trim. You turn it in your hands, admiring the pearl-colored grains of sand and the stainless glass. "I sure hope this is useful," you murmur, "cuz otherwise, we just got beaten up for a bunch of Pesetas."

Leon stores the treasure in the attache case. "I'm all right with knowing that everything we do brings us closer to killing that little psycho, and after him, Saddler."

You smirk, although that's hard to do while looking at the dark stain on Leon's back and the marks on your own skin.

Your stomach audibly growls, and Leon glances back. "I don't think I can help you out too much with that."

You shrug. "I've been hungry for a while. …You know, I even just miss chewing on something… it's weird. I think I'd eat anything right about now."

Leon becomes quiet and pensive, and fumbles through the pockets on his belt. "One sec… I think I…" He flips open a pouch and hold out a slim, small black paper box. "Here." He's smiling. "It's mint."

Your eyes widen and your jaw literally drops slightly. "I-is that gum? You have _gum?_" Leon flips open the box with his thumb, revealing five individually wrapped sticks of powder blue sustenance. You literally gape up at him. "Leon! You _are_ my hero!"

You grab a stick of gum and eagerly peel off the wrapping, tossing it onto the floor, and fold it between your teeth. You chew slowly as the cool, minty juices satisfy the lingering thirst burning at the back of your throat.

Leon grabs a piece for himself, amused by your reaction. "I honestly forgot I keep this. I've probably had this pack for… almost a month, I think. I never chew gum on the job," he adds between satisfied chomps, "it's actually dangerous because of what I do." He sighs. "But I think I deserve a piece. You good?" You nod, and Leon smiles. "All right. Let's go." You follow him through a mahogany wooden door on another side of the tiny room, and emerge in a long hallway echoing with mindless chants.

"_Morir es vivir... Morir es vivir..._"

You shudder. "I hate hearing that."

Leon glances at you. "Stay here," he whispers, "and wait for me to call you. I'll check out what's ahead." You watch him walk forward, handgun raised, and recognize that in this room, you must raise a walkway to get a cross and leave. In the middle of the room is an iron gate, on the other side of which is a bountiful supply of ammo and grenades. In the distance, Leon stops just before the opening and pulls out his rifle. With a crack and a distant squelch, the head of a zealot is broken open.

"_¡__Matalo!"_

Leon dashes around the corner and out of sight. You hear gunshots in quick succession, and the frantic chanting and hissing of injured monks. Slowly, you tread softly towards the opening, keeping one side against the wall and your own handgun raised. You peek around the corner to see blood soaking into the carpet and Leon pulling a suplex on one Illuminado. A crimson leader is rushing at him with a medieval flail in hand. The black-robed zealot's neck cracks, and his corpse disintegrates. The chains of the flail rattle as the leader swings it back, and Leon quickly whirls around and shoots his attacker in the chest, then forehead. The Illuminado falls and disintegrates.

"You okay?" he calls, glancing up at you.

"Yeah!"

Leon approaches a lever on a pedestal and pulls it with force. A rumble shakes the room, and in front of you, a beautiful marble walkway rises from the floor and clicks into place to allow passage across the room.

The door behind you flings open.

You turn around, shocked to see two Illuminados running towards you. Footsteps also pound across the bridge. You scream and fire at the pair of zealots, but nothing happens. You have no ammo.

"_No_-" An Illuminado grabs you and begins to drag you back towards the door. The empty gun slips out of your hands. You hear Leon shouting your name as the monks crossing the bridge intercept him and push him away with two spiked shields. One Illuminado has both of his arms wrapped tightly around your torso, so you kick at his shins until the butt end of a flail rams into the side of your head.

Blackness.

* * *

Your head hurts so much...

You open your eyes, and bright light entices you to quickly squeeze them shut again. But the dull aching along your spine doesn't allow you to slip away again. The chill permeating the hard floor underneath you seeps through your shirt, and you shiver.

With a gasp, you snap your eyes wide open. _I was taken by Illuminados! Taken from Leon!_

You are in a dark, cold room, sprawled on a gritty stone floor. The dimly lit ceiling stretches out above you, and golden firelight flickers dully off of the unevenly cut tiles. Grey cobwebs fill every corner. You roll onto your side and plant your hands firmly on the floor, then sit up to look around. Ancient wooden shelves are scattered along the walls, warped with age. A long, thin table with surprisingly few chairs is next to you in the middle of the room.

Something tickles across the back of your right hand, and you glance down to see a small black spider. With a short cry, you flip your hand over and smash the arachnid against the floor, then smear its body on the stone. You curl away from the spider and glance around the room for a way out.

Your hips feel lighter. All of your grenades are gone, and your handgun was lost before you blacked out. Your gum, however, is pressed against the back of your teeth. You chew as you contemplate your situation, and despair overwhelms your throbbing head and back. You are unarmed, alone, and lost in the Castle.

You stand up, breathing shakily, and walk to the back of the room, glancing at every flickering shadow as though it is another zealot ready to attack. There is a metal door sealed shut with chains, and you can guess that they reinforce a padlock on the other side. "No," you moan, and kick at the door. You fiercely attack the chains, pulling on them as though they might simply fall away from the door, but of course your attempts are fruitless.

There has to be another way out. You turn and wander around the room, and observe that no windows exist. Hence the room is eerily dark, save for the large flambeaus blazing in each corner. The wooden shelves and table sit empty, and nothing else save for a trio of chests occupies this small room. The air smells musty and damp. You realize that you are locked in a forgotten part of the castle.

_ I don't remember this from the game at all… and there's nothing useful in here. Salazar must not come here often._ You gaze at the three cherry-red, elaborate chests. _Hmm. Something important must be in there. Maybe something that can get me out of here._ You see that two of the chests are sealed with a small metal lock. _Figures. There'd better be something useful in the _one_ chest I can open._ You lift the heavy lid and peer inside. Books, an old Spanish hat, a pocket watch, and an ornate golden candelabrum. Nothing seems worth a second glance, although the candelabrum might be useful…

You take the candelabrum and let the lid fall shut, musing about your personal findings. _All that stuff must have belonged to someone who isn't around anymore. Maybe someone related to Salazar. That means that this candelabrum was valuable to them…_ The heavy, solid-gold candelabrum is set with valuable gems, and looks like any treasure you might find throughout the castle. Engraved Spanish verses orbit each gleaming ruby and emerald. _Geez. The Salazars couldn't even go to the bathroom at night without some solid-gold, glorified nightlight lighting the way._ You hold the candelabrum over the adjacent chest.

"Let's see if this overpriced flashlight can't get me out of here…" You raise your arm and smash an arm of the candelabrum against the small lock. _Three hits should do it, it's always worked for Leon—_You smash it again, and see a sizable dent in the mechanism. One more whack, and the lock breaks off. You love video games.

You lift the lid of the second trunk, and are met with multiple reflections of yourself in the twin gleaming blades of a battle-axe. _Jackpot._ You toss the abused candelabrum aside and grab the axe, only to see an array of medieval weaponry stashed underneath. A mace, crossbow, flail dagger, shield, and sets of arrows are crammed into the depths of the chest. You take the mace, seeing it as a more practical weapon –should you need one, you badly hope that you don't need a weapon until you find Leon—as it has the longest reach and is a lighter weight than the battle-axe.

You approach the chained door, and grip the mace. "Leon, I'm coming. Even if I have to bash through a few heads after this door, I'm going to find you," you grasp the weapon with both fists and swing your arms back, "and then I'm going to save Luis." You smash the bulky head of the mace into the topmost chain with as much force as you can muster, and the numerous spikes roughly cut through the metal links. You swing again, and the first chain is cut in two. Your palms sting, but you grip the mace and attack the next chain, swinging again and again until all chains are removed and your hands are raw and your fingers bleed. You breathe heavily, and push on the door.

Nothing happens. _What! But the chains…_ With a cry, you grasp the handle and pull, but the door remains firmly shut. You can't afford to waste time searching for items to unlock the door; you have to get back to Leon before Luis is killed. Your patience spent, you tear at the handle with the mace, your arms aching and your hands stinging, and you swing and smash as the handle distorts and the wooden door begins to splinter around it. _Stupid video game doesn't want me breaking out of my prison without Leon's help? Well, Leon's not coming-_

Something clatters to the floor on the other side of the door. You stop, panting, and let the mace slide out of your hands. It clangs dully against the stone tiles, and you peel a sliver of dead skin hanging from your palm. Your hands are in rough shape, but it's nothing a First Aid Spray from Leon can't heal. At least you've likely crafted a way out. The door is broken and nearly penetrated around the handle, which is twisted and contorted out of use. You take a moment to recover and press your ear against the door, listening for any nearby Illuminados who may have heard you. Hearing nothing, you take the mace again, which is now slightly dented, and push the door. It opens.

You step out into a horribly quiet hallway that mirrors the style of the room from which you just escaped. It is a dreary, barren corridor lit with scattered flambeaus and is lined with identical wooden doors. To the right are two more doors and then the corridor abruptly ends, and a dark wooden table and a portrait of Saddler decorate the empty space. You walk up to the portrait of Saddler, his light gray eyes staring down at you. _You are the only person in the world whom I wish didn't exist._ You grab the portrait and smash your filthy villager's shoe through his face, leaving a gaping, mud-lined hole from his purple hood to his pale, sagging jowls._ I can't wait for Leon to blast you into oblivion._ You turn and walk down the hall, adrenaline fueled by contempt powering your every step closer to Leon. The sooner you get to Leon, the sooner you get away from Saddler and his terrible cult.

"_Necesitamos la chica… Morir es vivir…_"

You freeze. Illuminados are coming to get you, and they're right around the corner. You have no idea how many there are.

You reason that stealth is ineffective at this point, because they are moving down the hallway and will inevitably come into contact with you, as you have no place to hide. You chance a glance around the corner and see three Illuminados –who also see you—one of whom is a crimson leader.

"_¡Allí está!_"

The trio charges towards you, and you back away from the corner and down the hall. One monk, bearing a heavy flail, lunges at you, his red eyes wide but soulless. You swing back your arms and smash the business end of your mace into the side of his head, crushing the temple with a terrible crunch. His skull caves slightly, and the monk shrieks as he drops to the floor, blood pouring from his nose and mouth.

The second monk hisses and raises his scythe, but you swing upward to crush his lower jaw into his skull with the heavy mace. The jaw unhinges, but the Illuminado remains upright after swaying on his feet. You swing again at that fatal spot on his head, cracking his temple, and the Illuminado groans and falls over, the scythe clattering loudly on the stone floor.

A terrible wet splintering and crunching alerts you to the formerly subdued Illuminado, who staggers to his feet as a nearly matured Plaga surges from a gaping hole in his throat. The alien thing wriggles its insect-like limbs as it screeches with rage and glares down at you with multiple beady eyes. You can't kill it with this mace without getting too close; you know that within range, this creature will bite off your head.

You consider running away, but the third Illuminado remains to be seen and you don't want any lingering threats following you as you try to navigate back to Leon. Thinking quickly, you drop your mace and dive to grab the scythe. You push yourself to your feet and are a few feet further from the Plaga, which stretches and opens wide its massive, pointed jaws. You swing as the creature dives at your skull and the scythe stops awkwardly in mid-swing. The Plaga's jaws snap just above your head as it shrieks and rears back; the blade is pulled out of your hands as it sticks within the Plaga and tears through its fleshy body. The Plaga bleeds brown fluids from its gaping wound, and you take this moment to grab the mace. A satisfying gurgle rattles from the creature's throat, and you dash around the corner as the host crumples to the floor.

The crimson leader is gone. For a moment, you are relieved. You slump against the cool stone wall and take several deep breaths as a small fire crackles in the flambeau above you. A thought forces you to keep moving: _He could be getting reinforcements._ You wipe a sheen of sweat from your forehead and lurch to your feet, trudging to the end of the corridor and tiptoeing to the cherry red, ornate door before listening intently for any signs of danger from the other side.

Hearing nothing, you grasp the gilded handle and pull the door slowly open, and step into an open, marble-floored room. White pillars support a walkway above which wraps around the room, and there are metal doors to your right and left. Several large vases occupy the corners, and prestigious Castellans cast knowing stares from their portraits along the walls.

You have to choose a door without knowing where you are in the castle. Which one might take you closer to Leon? You surmise that the left door might be a viable option, and approach it.

"_¡__Morir es vivir!_"

You jump away from the door in panic as whispers swirl in the empty air. Where are they? How many are coming for you? You grip your mace tighter as pounding erupts from behind the door you had chosen. Whatever's coming for you may be more powerful than an average Illuminado. Pained shrieks and louder chanting reach your ears through the thick door. Something other than Illuminados is coming…

You don't think you want to be in the open when it does. You dash behind a pillar and watch as the door is blasted by several errant slugs fired from an unfamiliar weapon. Suddenly, the door to your right is thrown open, and nearly a half-dozen Illuminados burst into the room, bearing flails and thick wooden shields. You freeze to your spot behind the pillar, unseen by the new arrivals and hopefully by whatever is making its way here. More Illuminados rush onto the walkway above, armed with crossbows and fire-tipped arrows. They aim at the center of the room, and you wonder what they are anticipating. Your heart pounds. You have no gun. No herbs, no idea where you are, no Leon – whatever is coming could kill you, if these Illuminados don't find you first.

The damaged door is kicked from its hinges and a tall figure charges into the room and ducks behind the pillar opposite from you. An Illuminado with an adult Plaga crawling from its broken cranium follows from behind, and the alien creature is torn apart by one shot from a powerful gun that does not belong to Leon.

_ Unless Leon bought something new… Could he be Leon? Leon…!_ You barely restrain yourself from calling his name; even greater than your hope for meeting Leon is your fear of this unknown entity and the overwhelming number of Illuminados surrounding you. You can't risk giving yourself away to someone who may be a threat.

The waiting Illuminados above fire their crossbows, which bounce off of the pillar and walls as the shield-bearing monks trudge forward. A magazine drops to the floor as the figure curses.

"_Mierda_, they were waiting for me! Of course they were…"

Your heart skips a beat. You know that Spanish accent! "_Luis!_"

A shot is fired. "Who's there! Nicole?" He sounds surprised and relieved.

"_¡__La chica est__á__ aqu__í__! __¡__Morir es vivir!_" A shielded monk turns towards you.

You ready your mace. "Luis, it's me!" The Illuminado draws closer.

Several more shots are fired. "Don't move, _chica_, I'm coming!"

Luis dashes out from behind the pillar as flaming arrows are fired from above. He throws himself behind your pillar as the arrows bounce off of the wall and strike a portrait of a female Castellan, which smolders in its frame. From a crouch, Luis fires at your attacker, who staggers back as the wooden shield is reduced to useless splinters. "Did you send out those invitations?" Luis' hazel eyes blaze with determination, but his tone is coy. "I told you no more than fifty people!"

The Illuminado falls, and Luis stands beside you in the shelter of the thick pillar. "Really," he pants, "these guys have been chasing me nonstop since I got into this nuthouse."

"_Ha ha ha ha…_" Three Illuminados approach you bearing shields. Luis pulls you behind him.

"Stay behind me." He throws an Incendiary Grenade behind them, and just as the explosion of fire consumes the trio, Luis grabs your arm and pulls you across the room behind another pillar. One Illuminado remains in the room, while the Illuminados above run around the walkway in order to bring you within sight. Luis fires twice at the head of the Illuminado, then glances upward. "They know I'm here, and we can't waste any more time. _¡__Vamanos!_"

Luis runs towards a familiar cherry door. You follow him into the quiet hallway, where the Illuminados and Plaga still litter the floor. Luis frowns. "What happened here?"

"Me." You gesture towards your gory mace, which is becoming heavy in your arms.

"_Mios Dío_… Hey, you're injured!" You glance up as Luis gently brushes your temple with his fingertips, and you feel painful pressure throbbing from his touch. You must be bruised from when the Illuminados took you from Leon. Luis examines the dried blood on his fingertips with concern. "That was a risky hit they took, but you're all right. Here," he opens a vial of mixed herbs. "Let me just…" He leans over you, gently massaging the medicinal pulp into the wound, which feels familiarly cold and numb. Lengths of stringy black hair, thick with sweat and hanging over his forehead, shield his dark eyes. You smell something spicy and earthen about him, which you like.

He tosses the empty vial. "There. Now let's keep moving."

You smile appreciatively. "Why are we going this way, anyway?"

Luis resumes walking. "Because something very valuable is in one of these rooms." He walks directly to the mangled door of the room in which you were held. "What is…? Was this you?"

You nod, arcing an eyebrow. "I had to get out. What's in here?"

"You'll see." Luis pushes open the door and quickly approaches the set of three ornate wooden chests that you had explored. "Looks like you already took care of these two for me…" He pulls out a large key and opens the final chest, procuring two vials. One is a bottle of red and blue pills; the other is a slim, tightly sealed glass tube emblazoned with the Illuminados' insignia, containing an unnamed purple substance.

Luis stands, sighing satisfactorily. "This one's for me," he pockets what you perceive to be the Sample, "and this is for you." He passes the bottle of pills to you. "Be sure to take two every four to six hours. You and Leon. They'll help stop the convulsions, but you'll need to find a cure. I can help with that later."

"Um, thanks…" You pocket the bottle of pills. "Do you know…?"

Luis smiles. "Yeah, that ladykilling _americano_ shouldn't be too hard to find. But I must admit, I'm hurt that you don't want to spend more time with me." He winks.

"Funny, I remember mentioning something earlier about being a little young for you."

"Well, as long as you don't call me old, I can take it." His smirk fades. "C'mon. It's not safe to stay here."

You follow Luis out of the room and down the hallway. The marble room is quiet. "Hmm…" Luis seems on edge. "The Illuminados up there are gone. That means they're probably waiting for us somewhere else. Stay close to me." He moves towards the right metal door.

"Don't you want to go back the way you came?"

Luis sighs. "No. I mean, I would, but it's impossible. They, uh, booby trapped it."

You frown. "Oh. …Do you know where this goes?"

He pushes open the door. "I have a hunch. Don't worry, we'll find Leon." The two of you emerge onto a dimly lit, carpeted set of stairs and follow it down into a very open, very large library. The walls are completely lined with shelves supporting aging tomes, and individual shelves are arranged throughout the floor below you, and a short wooden staircase leads to a second floor encompassing about one third of the room, also supporting endless volumes of dusty books.

"¡_M__á__talo!_" An arrow flies past your head. Luis fires above the second floor, where Illuminados with crossbows are stationed. They topple over the thick railing and crash into the first floor with a bone-crunching thud. Illuminados approach you from all directions.

"_Ay yi yi_, they never quit! Follow me!" Luis leads you into the belly of the library and among a maze of towering bookshelves. "We've got to get to the other side; then we can get out of here!" He fires at a pair of Illuminados with shields; you hear a whisper behind you and whirl around to meet an unarmed zealot reaching for you with pale hands. You smash your mace into his skull and continue on with Luis.

Suddenly, the floor begins to shake. Luis stops, throwing out one arm to stop you from moving. "Don't move! They've got this whole place booby-trapped…."

Immediately, you see that Luis is right. Bookshelves ahead of you lurch and twist to form a literal maze of texts. You feel a knot form in your stomach; as if one maze hadn't been terrifying enough….

The rumbling stops. Luis straightens up, alert and watching. "…All right. Looks like we're good to go. Stay close to me, Nicole." He moves forward and approaches a split, and wordlessly turns left. Suddenly, a shelf collapses behind you and a line of crossbows appears and takes aim. You shriek, and Luis, seeing the danger, pulls you down to the floor. The arrows sail above your heads and pierce the spines of books across the room. Luis glances at you, his dark hair splayed on the carpet. "That's how you know that we are going the right way."

You smile uneasily, then get to your feet and move.

After several turns, all of which you gladly let Luis navigate, you are grabbed from behind and lifted up over the shoulder of a monk. You struggle, and beat at your captor with the mace, but the length of your weapon makes it ineffective in close range. The Illuminado, among a group of shielded companions, ignores the beating. Luis whirls around and fires into the crowd, splintering wooden shields and splitting muscle from bone. Soon, the arms holding you collapse and you roll to the ground, the mace slipping from your grip. You wriggle to the other side of the group of Illuminados, and duck down to stay out of Luis' line of fire. Without a weapon, there isn't much you can do.

Gore explodes over your head as one adult Plaga escapes its host and bursts into the open air, and the body crumples on top of you. You push away the cold, bloody flesh, trying not to look at the massive opening on the neck that leaves vertebrae and veins exposed. What a terrible way to die….

Something pops wetly and bubbles, and you look up to see that the Plaga is disintegrating on the carpet. Luis rushes to you. "_Chica_, are you all right?"

You stand on unsteady legs. "I'm okay. Um, let me get my mace and then…we can go." You fish out your heavy weapon from among the limbs and splinters of wood, then follow Luis after he looks you over for injuries. You notice that he is ignoring a bleeding cut on his right arm.

You enter into an open area, embellished with a plush purple rug covering a circular area that you presume to be the center of the library, and the maze. The rug bears that familiar golden insignia of Los Illuminados. Above you hangs an ornate golden chandelier with hundreds of candles flickering lazily.

Luis sighs. "Well, this isn't so bad."

You groan. "Why did you _say_ that?"

Luis scoffs. "I'm just saying that compared to what _could_ happen, this place is pretty quiet—"

"_¡__Te voy a matar!_" A crimson zealot stands at the balcony of the upper floor, looking down at you and Luis through its white skull mask. It grips a large scythe and glances up above you. Luis raises his gun but the Illuminado swings back his arms and hurls the scythe with all of his strength, sending it spinning upward through the air, and the long blade cuts through the support chain of the chandelier.

A loud metallic CRACK! sounds, and the entire giant glass chandelier drops. Luis grabs your wrist and pulls you away, running at a sprint, towards the second half of the bookshelf maze. The chandelier crashes into the purple carpet in the center of the room, bursting into innumerable glittering shards that flicker in the firelight and scatter all through the library. You are pushed against a bookshelf and Luis stands nearly on top of you, his breath hot on your hair as wickedly large pieces of glass cut through the air and small shards powder Luis' dark wiry mane. He holds his forearms along either side of your head until everything is quiet. He then looks down at you, and glass trickles from his hair. "I'm not hurt," he mutters. "Are you?"

"No…" You blink. Luis' hair is bright orange. And it's waving and undulating like… You push Luis aside and see a wall of fire building from the broken corpse of the formerly grand chandelier. Now you grab Luis' hand, and he looks as alarmed as you feel. "We need to find the exit _now_, and you have lots of glass in your hair."

Luis pulls you away from the growing fire, but you pull back. "Wait!"

Luis looks exasperated. "We don't have time—"

"There's a key!" You dash away from Luis and look again at the broken, smoldering chandelier. In the center, suspended on a shattered, curling arm, is a golden Insignia key. Chances are good you'll need it. Taking a deep breath, you run at the expanding fire, and jump over the flames into the pile of metal and glass. Scratches sting all over your legs as shards brush against your skin. You reach out and barely manage to grip the key between two fingers. Glass crunches under your feet and the fire begins to singe the hair on your skin.

"Nicole!" Luis is closer to the fire, wide-eyed. "_¡Est__á__s estupida!_ You'll get killed!"

You look at him and walk towards the wall of fire separating you, and break into a run, gripping the key in one hand, and then leap over the fire, tucking your feet underneath of you. Your toes pass through the flames, but don't get burned. You land horribly onto the plush carpet, and Luis immediately pulls you to your feet. Your wrist took the fall badly, and your knees ache, but you have the key.

Luis is quiet for a moment, looking at you. "You've got a good eye, _chica_. You probably saved our lives. Now let's go!"

Luis tugs you towards the second half of the maze as the fire devours the carpet and licks at the base of the bookshelves. This isn't good. Wooden bookshelves and old books… this entire room is kindling. If you don't find the exit soon, you'll either be swallowed in flames or suffocate from smoke inhalation. Already the room is darkening with billowing dark clouds.

You simply follow along, clutching your mace, as Luis winds through turns and splits in the path. He soon makes a right and is met with a dead end. You cough; the room smells completely like smoke. Luis whirls around, no longer aware of you except for your hand gripped in his. The fire has consumed the center area and is spreading quickly. Luis looks panicked.

He makes another right, and you pass by a familiar series of red books. You stop. "Luis, we've been here before. This way!" You tug back towards a crossroads, and he stares at you.

"We haven't been this way. Don't talk, just let me get us out of here!" He definitely looks alarmed. Luis is sweating and his eyes are darting from the maze to the expanding fire. You are getting hot. There is no time to argue with him.

"Shut up and follow me!" You squeeze his hand and pivot around and walk briskly to the split in the path you encountered earlier. You rule out where you have been and go straight towards the far wall. Luis protests, but you ignore him. As long as he walks with you, he trusts you. At every turn, you glance up at the wall to mark your progress. You're getting closer, but not quickly enough. The air is turning white and grey with smoke, and you are beginning to wheeze and cough. Luis' breathing is labored.

"_Chica_." Luis tugs on your hand. You turn around, and see that he is holding his shirt up over his nose and mouth. He pulls up the neck of your shirt, and you do the same. For a moment, all you can smell and breathe is the stink of sweaty cloth. Relief.

You try to continue navigating, but your vision blurs with tears as smoke and heat permeate the room. Bookshelves all around you are catching fire as the flames sweep through the room. You hear wood splinter and crack as wooden supports collapse and release ash into the air, showering you and Luis with orange burning flakes of wood. You have a massive headache, and you stop dead in your tracks. Your legs feel very close to giving out. Luis steps in front of you, coughing, and pulls you to the left. You gasp, then cough and something wet clings to the back of your throat.

An ornate metal door is at the end of a long, straight path.

Luis looks back at you through red-rimmed eyes. "This….this may be trapped…. You….just stay….stay close to me!"

You nod, and the two of you run to the door. Your lungs smolder with every breath, but you run.

"_¡__M__á__talo!_" A familiar snap sounds from the balcony, and you glance up into the smoke to see a volley of flaming arrows arcing towards you and Luis. You pull Luis towards a shelf for shelter, and he pushes you to the floor and shields you against himself and a bookshelf. The air seems clearer down here. Your head swims.

The arrows pierce the library all around you with a chorus of heavy thuds, and the fire grows even more ravenous. Luis staggers to his feet, swaying as he gasps and pulls his shirt back over his nose and mouth. "_Chica_." You feel a hand on your back. "Nicole!" You are lifted from the floor and onto your feet, the mace clatters to the floor, and suddenly you snap back to reality. You had nearly passed out.

You shake your head. "Let's go!" Your hair sticks to your face. You don't care about the mace, only about getting out.

You and Luis run to the metal door, and the bookshelves surrounding you finally ignite. If you don't get out now, you will die. You reach the door, and Luis whirls around to you. "Key! Key!" You blink, remembering that vital item that you plucked from the glass and flames earlier, and realize that it is not in your hand. Luis stares at you, and for the first time in a long time, you feel cold.

Then you check your pockets, and pull out the key. You want to sigh with relief, but you might suffocate. Luis jams the key into the lock and turns, and you hear a wonderful metallic click, and he pauses before opening the door.

"The fire will go crazy when it gets oxygen," he says hoarsely. "Get in front of me and go as soon as it's open." You step in front of Luis, frightened that he will get terribly burned if the flames swell. But you don't have time to think, because the door is open and cold air swirls in front of you and you can see marble walls and floors and you are propelled into the corridor and collapse onto cool tile. You cough and wheeze and spit up mucus, and suddenly your vision clears and your headache becomes a dull throb. You are unable to move for a moment, sprawled on the cold marble floor. But you hear moaning and a sick feeling forms a hard pit in your stomach; you roll over and see Luis sitting against the wall, covered in soot, sweat, and glass, and looking back at the closed metal door.

You take a deep breath slowly, then push yourself upright and scoot to Luis' side. You lean back next to him. "Are you okay?" Goodness, you sound like an old woman.

Luis nods. "Just overheated. …That door was very hot." And he sounds like an old man.

You sigh. "They probably thought of that when they set the place on fire."

"Yeah." You both sit in silence. Luis turns his head and coughs heavily, and you hear the soft tinkling of glass filtering out of his hair. He stands up. "Ready to keep going?"

You smile. "Ready to find Leon."

Luis shrugs. "I _know_ that you like me more than him."

Surprising yourself, you stand up and lean into him and wrap him in a tight hug. "I know that I'm grateful that you're with me." You stand back. "I wouldn't have made it after I escaped that room."

He smiles softly. "You know that I will do anything to get you home safe. No one deserves what that insane Saddler has planned."

You nod, and the two of you walk down the corridor, your energy renewed with each breath of fresh, cool air. You pass into a small storage room that connects to another hallway, and Luis takes a moment to see to your wounds with newly-mixed herbs. Then you continue into a very familiar looking stone corridor… But the Merchant is nowhere to be seen. This is puzzling.

Leon is also not there, and your heart sinks a little. Could he be on the other side of those large wooden doors, like in the game? Luis pushes one open. "Leon! I got it." You glance backwards, but Saddler is nowhere to be seen.

And there is that voice that fills you with warmth and security. "Luis… have you seen…" His worry melts into relief when you peek your head around Luis and then run towards Leon. "Nicole!"

"Leon!" You embrace, and you take a moment to savor his smell of cloth, gunpowder, and _Leon_.

He looks you over. "Look at you, you're a mess! But you're all right. …You smell like smoke."

You smile. "Yeah, Luis and I…" You turn to look at Luis, and cold grey eyes glare back at you in the hallway. You step away from Leon, running towards the Spaniard. "_Luis!_"

A slimy, undulating limb slithers out from underneath of lengthy purple robes and lashes forward at Luis' chest, but Luis ducks out of the way, almost bumping into you. Leon grabs his TMP, and Saddler glares at you, and then the Plaga limb curls and binds you around your arms and thighs, lifting you two feet into the air. You cry out as the hot, sticky appendage pulls you to Saddler's side, and the pointed tip pierces into your arm. Luis and Leon stand frozen with shock.

"Well, it seems that we have a situation," he hisses with dark pleasure. "You do not want to lose the girl, and I want my property returned to me. This can end well for all of us, or," his long, black fingernails stroke the vein in your neck, "it can end badly for her." The appendage squeezes you tightly, and you can't suppress a whimper of pain.

Leon's eyes blaze. "You _drop_ her, Saddler, or I swear-"

"Ah ah ahh!" Saddler's gaze hardens as his voice drips with sweetened malice, "Leon, you do not want this girl's blood on your hands, do you?" The Plaga constricts tighter around you, and you feel something in your back pop. Tears gather in your vision as you struggle to breathe in this creature's crushing grip.

Leon keeps his handgun trained on Saddler, his eyes flicking from Saddler to you. Luis is breathing hard, gripping the treasured Sample and his Red 9, indecisive and tense. For a moment, everything is silent. Your Plaga writhes excitedly in the presence of Saddler and his controlling Plaga Staff, evoking a pained gasp from you as your abdomen lurches with the unpleasant movement.

Leon's shoulders sag. His gaze drops. He lowers his handgun from Saddler's chest. "Luis… give it to him."

Luis is alarmed. He glances at the Plaga Sample curled tightly in one fist. "_Amigo_, you have no idea what I went through to get this! You have no idea what this _is!_ We will not be able to get it back."

"_Luis._" The Spaniard looks at the Sample, then back at Leon. You realize that you can't feel your fingers or toes.

Saddler chuckles. "I will kill her. She is only fodder to me. I can find any American fool to send to your miserable country. Give me the Sample and I will spare her. You are running out of time!"

Your vision and head are swimming.

"_Luis!_" Leon is seething, barely keeping himself from physically wrestling the Sample from Luis. The Spaniard gazes at Saddler, his brown eyes dark with dread, then holds out the vial.

"…Here." His voice is low and husky. "You want it? Give us the girl, and you can have your Sample."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Saddler chuckles, "I hardly think that there is room for negotiation here." The appendage constricts tighter yet, and you can only breathe in gasps. Your fingers are blue.

Luis takes one look at you, and you look down at him, and he grips the Sample and hurls it at Saddler. Saddler's eyes widen, and he lunges for the vial; the Plaga becomes loose and slips away from you, and you crumple to the floor, gasping and coughing. Luis is instantly at your side. Leon's weapon is trained squarely on Saddler, who cradles the Sample in his wrinkled palms, then looks up at Luis with malice.

"Now that I have the Sample," he growls, "you serve me no purpose!" The appendage lashes out at Luis, who moves to shield you, and a bright flash stops Saddler cold. Leon pulls the trigger on his TMP and holds it down, pumping endless rounds into Saddler's torso. Luis helps you to sit up as Saddler roars in anger, and the Plaga appendage whips out along the floor and knocks Leon's feet from under him. Leon crashes onto his back and the TMP flies out of his hands. The alien limb slithers back under Saddler's robes, and Saddler staggers to his feet.

"Hm! You _will_ die," he spits, clutching the Sample with both hands and breathing heavily. "_All_ of you!" Saddler lurches into the corridor, and the doors slam behind him.

A second of silence before Leon groans. You get to your feet with help from Luis, and rush to him. "Leon…!" You kneel next to him as he sits up to meet you, and you wrap your arms around his shoulders tightly. One of his hands pats your back.

"Hey." He looks up. "Thanks for protecting her, Luis."

You sit up, and see Luis shrug. "No problem, _amigo_. We are together in this." Luis remembers something, and looks at you. "You have the medicine, yes?"

Leon glances at you. "Medicine?"

Luis nods. "It should suppress the growth of the parasite, but it is not a cure. I can help with that, though." You fish the bottle of pills out of your pockets and unscrew the cap. "Just take two every few hours, maybe four to six hours, and it will keep the Plagas dormant." You nod, and give two to Leon, and grab two for yourself. The pills are large and bright red and blue.

Leon smirks at you. "Bottoms up." You both tilt back your heads and swallow the pills. You hate how large they are, and swallow a few times to keep them down. You cringe at the bitter aftertaste.

Luis claps his hands. "Well amigos, are we going to get that Sample back, or sit here and take a nap? Personally, I could do either one."

You and Leon stand, and Leon retrieves his TMP. "Let's go," Leon says with a nod. You smile at the two men in front of you. They are wonderful.

Leon and Luis begin walking around the room, and you glance down at the wall where you would have been held captive, had you fallen into the trap. Thank goodness that you don't have to wander through that creepy, dark dungeon with the murderous suits of armor. Now a thought nearly makes you stop cold.

The Serpent Ornament will sit in that darkness, untouched, unless you can get into that dungeon. The only perceivable way into that dungeon is through the door on the lower level. The only perceivable way into the lower level is through the trap, which you avoided. And so the Serpent Ornament will continue to collect dust within the dungeon.

You feel chills. Without the Serpent Ornament, you will not be able to continue through the Castle. How will you reach Salazar and Saddler, and reclaim the Sample? Or, more importantly, how will you be able to go to the Island and use the Plaga-removing machinery in order to get these parasites out of your bodies…. before they kill you?

You did actually save Luis. You have rewritten the script of Resident Evil 4. But at what price?

Your life, it seems, and Leon's.


End file.
